Soft-Hackle Black Ant 1550

[letumgo]

Wayne - After reading your description, I simply could not resist the urge to go to the vice and try to make an ant pattern with the features you described. Here is what I tyed...


Hook - Daiichi 1510/Size 16
Thread - Pearsall's Gossamer Silk (Sherry Spinner/Color 6B)
Hackle - Starling (bleached a golden tan)
Abdomen - Mole Fur (Cinnamon/Tan) over well waxed silk
Head - Mole Fur (Black) over well waxed silk

The final whip finish is done between the hackle and the head of the fly. The materials are listed in the order they are tyed onto the hook. This fly was tyed very similar to the red ant pattern a posted a while back.

Thanks William, Wayne and CreationBear for the inspiration.

[willowhead]

Ray, to quote Art Blakey....."i aint handsome, but i'm Cute!" ...........

[DUBBN]

Ray, that is the vermon right there! You have the color of the thorax down to a "T". I couldnt duplicate the color of the Gunnison ants any better. Very well done sir!

[letumgo]

Thanks guys.

[William Anderson]

Wayne, that's a great but of info. Ive tied other ant patterns with soft hackles but not as tidy as this one I posted and not as deadly as Rays. I fished em about a foot under a dry fly and had a couple really great days each season. Would be more if I could get out more now. Ray this is awesome. I really need to get to my vise and work out a few with the CB technique and some fur blends. Im thinking an amber dye on partridge would be effective with the two tone beauties. Or woodcock. No, grouse. perfect.

Thanks everyone.

Any other ant patterns out there?

W

[tie2fish]

I was out on the Gunpowder yesterday, and for the most part, couldn't get the fish to cooperate; like a dummy, I forgot to try the ant pattern that William gave me the last time he was up this way. However, after seeing the info and pix in this thread, I'm going to make a point of fishing it the next time out. As a matter of fact, today I'll try my hand at tying up some reasonable facsimilies of his and Ray's great patterns. Hopefully the fishing results will be as successful as what DUBBN reports .

[CreationBear]

Great tying, gentlemen...wonderful to see when you're on "injured reserve."

FWIW, while I very seldom fish ants in warmwater--bream tend to take the flies too deeply for consistent C&R--my only true "match the hatch" scenario I've ever experienced came way up a holler down in Alabama when I was fishing for spotted bass. There was some downed timber on the slope above one pool, and when the sun hit it that afternoon, an incredible "hatch" of carpenter ants came boiling out. Very cool experience to see bass up to three pounds "sipping " on the surface--I think they shredded every ant-pattern in my box down to the tying thread.

Jon

[kanutripr]

Vicki

[DOUGSDEN]

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Ants are great! W., I like your pattern of a wet ant. I have some of them in black and cinn. in my vest and they are indeed lifesavers. I wish I could say more and I will someday....right now, I am about asleep!
Good night all,
Densdoug

[hankaye]

Ray, Howdy;

Ain't nothing that an ant can't do...
That one would win Miss Universe (if it be a she).

How did you do the dubbing, twist it on the silk, a loop, ???

For me the getting the dubbing to grip the thread is elusive
need more practice, practice,practice....

Also, how did you tye in the hackle, tip or butt??
No need for a sbs

hank