Tying Your Own Flies for Fly Fshing can be rewarding and economical.
Ants are considered terrestrials in the fishing world, which simply means they live on land. However, even terrestrials often end up in the water and ants are an abundant food source for trout, a favorite target of fly fishermen. In early spring when leaves are just starting to appear, an ant fly is a good bet for trout. From then through July and August, ants, both terrestrial and flying, are a major food source for trout. A black ant is one of the easiest flies to tie and takes just a few materials, according to Jeff Morgan, author of "An Angler's Guide to the Oregon Cascades" and "Small Stream Fly Fishing".
Instructions
1. Clamp the hook in the fly-tying vice so that the straight part (shank) of the hook is horizontal and the hooked end is pointing down.
2. Tie on the thread at about the middle of the shank of the hook and wrap it tightly around the hook, laying each wrap of thread tightly next to the previous one. Do this until you get to the bend in the hook.
3. Wax the thread and wrap a small bit of dubbing on the string. Do this by rubbing a small amount of wax between your fingers and sliding it along the string, then taking a bit of dubbing and twisting it around the waxed thread.
4. Wrap the thread that you put the dubbing on back to the middle of the shank, creating an oblong abdomen that tapers in as it gets to the center.
5. Wrap the thread several times around the hook, creating the center of the ant with a row of flat thread wraps.
6. Put more wax and dubbing on a smaller length of thread and wrap it between the flat thread wraps and the eye of the hook. Make this one into a ball shape, which will be the head.
7. Finish the fly with a whip-finish. Use the scissors to cut the thread and use a drop of fly cement to hold the end of the thread in place, being careful to not cover the eye of the hook with cement.
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