Beetle Patterns

jhguster23

jhguster23

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Joined
May 7, 2007
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Loading up my box for next spring / summer and I'm looking for some tying suggestions for beetles. Tied a bunch this year and none of them turned out very well...even when I use foam, they don't seem to float right, I have a hard time seeing them, etc. So I ended up barely using beetles this summer and from what I hear, I'm really missing out. Believe it or not, I've NEVER caught a trout on a beetle.

So any pattern suggestions would be much appreciated. I've tried a Crowe's beetle without much success, too.

Thanks
 
I've caught lots of fish on a #14 crowe beetle
And it's quite simple to tie IMO, The last few years I've been making them with a peacock herl underbody, and it seems to make them even more effective. It's become my go to fly all thru summer and fall - I highly recommend tying them.
As for seeing it on the water, it can be quite tough to spot sometimes, - but I just look for a rise where I think the fly is.
You can also tie in a piece of bright yarn as an indicator, or paint the back of it
 
The foam beetle is easy to tie and works well. I tie in some hivis polyyarn at collar of the fly. I often use the beetle with the yarn as an indicator fly with a dropper. Here is a tutorial for tying:

Foam Beetle

Good luck.
 
The # 14 foam beetle is the top producing dry fly in my collection pretty much every year.

1. For the foam beetle, make sure the strip is not too fat for the hook you are using. The standard tying foam really should not be used under a # 14 unless you shave it down, which is easy enough to do with scissors. I use the foamie craft sheet foam for # 16 and smaller, and shave that down as needed to # 20.

2. Cut the strip about as wide as the hook gap. On larger beetles, say # 8 or larger, make the foam more like a football shape. I have caught some really nice trout on very large beetles.

3. If your beetles dont land right, try stretching the foam a little more when you tie it down near the hook eye. Also, dont use too light a wire hook.

4. For visibility, take a little strip of orange foamie sheet, and tie it in at the main foam body tie down point. Then, just trim it smooth to the body with scissors. Some folks paint a dot on theirs, but this orange foam dot (after trimming) is just as good, easier, more durable, and adds a little flotation.

I love beetles.
 
Try the Coffee Bean Beetle

Years ago there was an article in Fly Tyer, I Think, that presented this pattern.

It's simple and it brings two of my loves - coffee and fly fishing, together. I tied some of these up and they caught fish for me on spring creek. They float very nicely too. These are fun to make and if you have kids they can have fun painting the beans.

1. Select and wash coffee beans of various sizes. I just washed them with diluted dish soap. Let them air dry. Its best to select a lighter roast that isn't too oily. French roast isn't the best choice.

2. Tie on six legs of some sort. I prefer black crystal flash, but you could use span-flex or small rubber legs or black deer hair.

3. Super glue the coffee bean to the hook.

4. It could be done now - but I painted mine in bright patterns with acrylic artist paints for increased visibility. After painting I varnished with some head cement. You could do this step prior to gluing to the hook if you prefer.
 
guster,
I think it really helps to tie your foam beetle patterns with a heavy hook. I like a #14, heavy nymph hook for beetles and, under the foam overback, I wrap a body of black dubbing which absorbs water. The heavy hook and fur body helps to ensure that the fly "rights" itself when it hits the water. Put a yellow visibility post on the top of the fly - makes a great float for midges as well as catching a lot of fish itself.
 
I have a buddy that ties coffee bean beetles as well, yes I was skeptic and laughed...he made me eat my words on the yough one spring!
 
I've seen a guy using them on the little lehigh, and he was doing well.

The question is... is it bait? It's a food item glued to a hook. I'm curious where the line is drawn from a legality standpoint.
 
Material List: Hook: Dai Riki 305 size 14
Thread: Danville 6/0 Black
Body: Peacock Hurl
Back: Black Foam
Legs: Black Rooster Hackle (palmered)
Indicator: Yellow Foam or Yarn
 
This Pattern did very well for me this past Summer.

Good Luck!
 
That's how I tie em. Sometimes, I'll tie in black elk hair legs instead of hackle. That works well too.
 
Thanks for the good suggestions. I'm going to tie a bunch of them.
 
You can tie ant's pretty similarly too...

just don't tie in the back end of the foam... just tie in where the indicator is and leave the foam extended from there to around the end of the hook. Maybe a few wraps of hackle around the indicator section instead of the palmering... pretty good pattern for me too.
 
I've also thought about the "bait" issue of the coffee bean beetle and I've avoided using it in Fly Fishing Only areas, just in case.

I don't think that the trout are attracted to the coffee like a bait - but If someone wanted to be a stickler - they might have an argument.
 
dryflyguy wrote:
I've caught lots of fish on a #14 crowe beetle

As the summer wears on, try them in bigger sizes. PaulG uses some rather large beetles, I think 8's... anyway, he seems to do awfully well with 'em.
 
I think foam beetles are among the most versatile and effective trout flies. Most of the ones I use are roughly a quarter inch in length, esp for pressured trout. I have an "attractor beetle" that I consider among my go-to flies for mountain brookies. Many folks like a large, visible, dry fly like a Royal Wulff or similar, conventional dry for brookies. With a foam beetle, I get as many rises without the hassle of messy floatants or repetitive false casting. I like a bright colored foam, bright green works well, with orange rubber legs for this beetle. Sizes of about half an inch seems to work best.
 
Padraic wrote:
dryflyguy wrote:
I've caught lots of fish on a #14 crowe beetle

As the summer wears on, try them in bigger sizes. PaulG uses some rather large beetles, I think 8's... anyway, he seems to do awfully well with 'em.

I like to use Crowe beetles, in size# 12's and #10's!

PaulG
 
This past summer, I started tying some crowe beetles in #12, and did catch fish on them also. I guess I'll have to try some even larger.
I also use them in smaller sizes. In fact, I've caught fish on #20 beetles when everything else has failed
 
Columbian or French roast?
 
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