Beginner Fly Tying: Terrestrials
By Don Fine
Participants in our PVFF Beginner’s Fly Tying program in recent months may recall that the premise of our tying program throughout this year has been two-fold; i.e., learning to tie fly patterns which represent natural fish foods present at respective seasons of the year, and tying the natural food patterns using a variety of fly tying materials.
At our June 17th beginner fly tying session, our class will learn to tie two fly patterns; both generally referred to as “terrestrials.” For fly fishers the term refers to an insect which lives its entire life cycle on land. Terrestrial insects (e.g. ants, hoppers, crickets, beetles) are differentiated from aquatic insects, for which life cycle from pupae to adult occurs predominantly in the water.
Join our beginner fly tying session on June 17th at 7 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, West Patrick Street, Frederick, in Room 207.
As noted previously, if you are planning to attend either the beginner class or the advanced class in June; we would greatly appreciate knowing in advance for planning purposes. Please contact Don Fine.
Tying a Simple Foam Beetle by Don Fine
Credit- instructions for tying the foam beetle were taken from You Tube – Trident Fly Fishing
Materials: size 12 hook, 2mm craft foam (black, brown), 6/0 black or brown thread, thin rubber leg material.
Tying Steps:
1. Starting at the eye of the hook lay down a thread base to the bend of the hook and return thread wraps to the front of the hook stopping short of the hook eye.
2. Cut a section of foam 2”long X ¼” wide. Then tie one end of the foam in immediately behind the hook eye and secure the foam with thread wraps along the hook shank stopping just short of the beginning of the hook bend.
3. Return thread wraps over the entire hook shank stopping again behind the hook eye.
4. Tie in several strands of peacock herl behind the hook eye and tie this material in along the hook shank with successive thread wraps.
5. Next spiral wrap the long portion of the herl forward carrying the thread along with the successive wraps of the herl. Secure the herl at this point and cut off excess.
6. Pull the foam (which is hanging beyond the hook bend) forward and secure it behind the hook eye with several thread wraps. (there will still be a small length of foam going forward over the hook eye).
7. Trim off the foam ~1/4” forward of the hook eye.
8. (Next) Tie in rubber legs. One very easy way to do this is to take a 2” length of rubber leg material and secure one end of it on the near side of the hook (facing the fly tier). Then make several thread wraps forward, and make a relatively large (U shaped) fold in the leg material and secure the remaining length of leg material along the opposite (far) side of the fly at the same location where the first tie in was made.
9. Clip the U shaped portion thus creating 4 legs (2 forward & 2 rearward)
10. Tie in small sighter foam piece directly about the section where the legs were secured.
11. Trim the head of the fly, the sighter foam and legs to desired lengths.
Tying a Simple Fur Ant by Don Fine
Credit – instructions for tying taken from Fur Ant – Best Simple Fly Pattern, You Tube – In the Riffle, June 2, 2012.
Materials: small hook, size 10-16, black 6/0 thread, black dubbing, grizzly hackle.
Tying Steps:
1. Lay down a layer of thread from the hook eye to the bend of the hook.
2. Dub the tying thread and create a ball of thread at the rear of the hook to create an abdomen.
3. Then advance the thread to the middle of the hook (and slightly beyond) leaving a small space for tying in the hackle feather (which will represent the wing of the fly).
4. Tie in a hackle feather and spiral the feather around this open space carrying the thread with it. Then return wrap the thread through the feathered section.
5. Dub the thread and create the front (or thorax) portion of the fly. This thorax portions should be approximately the same in size as was the abdomen.
6. Whip finish behind the dubbed ball (from step 5).
Note: this same procedure can be used to create red, black and cinnamon colored ants.