Hook Recommenations for Ant Pattern

[MD_Gene]

Looking for a wide gap hook. I want to pass plastic beads onto it to make a black ant pattern. Any recommendations?

 

[nfrechet]

i use daiichi 1190 dry fly hooks

 

[J55tyger88]

^Nice, i like those ants! Im assuming you melt those plastic beads to get that tear drop shape?

 

[WildTigerTrout]

Gene, try the Mustad 94833 thin wire dry fly hook. That's the hook I used on the carpenter ant I gave you to use as a pattern. The beads are glass though not plastic.

 

[nfrechet]

J55tyger88 wrote:
^Nice, i like those ants! Im assuming you melt those plastic beads to get that tear drop shape?

no

i overcoat with uv resin

 

[MD_Gene]

WildTigerTrout wrote:
Gene, try the Mustad 94833 thin wire dry fly hook. That's the hook I used on the carpenter ant I gave you to use as a pattern. The beads are glass though not plastic.

I have a few hundred beads in many colors. I pulled the black ones out and I thought that the beads were plastic but need to check.

 

[nfrechet]

glass or plastic beads can be used. just overcoat them

 

[MD_Gene]

The beads I have are not plastic. Must be glass. Can't find the Daiichi 1190. Maybe I am have a hook "size Problem"?

 

[MD_Gene]

How many coats of resin do you use? Do you paint it afterwards?

 

[nfrechet]

the daiichi 1190 hook is simply my preference. you can certainly use any brand of dry fly hook.

i buy them here

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/daiichi-1190-barbless-dry-fly-hook

heres a tutorial

i thread on the Black beads (glass or plastic, it doesn't really matter

i anchor the beads to prevent them from moving on the hook shank

i coat the beads with one coat of uv resin (the beads provide the color of the ant. the uv resin is clear) no paint required

i attach the hackle and wrap it forward and tie off

finished products

different color beads = different colored ants

beads can be found at your local big box hobby stores and in the big box department store in the crafts section

 

[dc410]

That is a great ant pattern, Norm. Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[nfrechet]

your welcome

 

[Skeet6]

Agreed, very cool. (a lot nicer than my crude little foam ones).
I wonder, do they float? I would think the glass beads would sink?
Let me know, thanks!!
Mike

 

[poopdeck]

That is the best looking ant pattern I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the step by step. What size hook do you tie them on? I'm assuming they sink along the lines of a wet fly.

 

[1manwolfpack]

Nfrechet, what do you use for the hackle on your ants? Great looking pattern!

 

[nfrechet]

whiting dry fly hackle

 

[MD_Gene]

A couple of more questions if I could? It looks like the beads are small? And the epoxy "completes them". I think it is easier to get several small beads over the bend then large ones? Right? Second, what kind of epoxy did you use? I used the thin bodied one and got a little bump in the bottom of the ant. I plan on trying the thicker formula next time.

I plan on hitting Michaels tomorrow in search of more black beads.

Thanks to you and to WildTigerTrout. WTT gave me a sample when we met on Spring Creek a few weeks ago.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

Gene, you are welcome. I am sure you will enjoy fishing with them. Ants are like CANDY to trout!

 

[dc410]

WildTigerTrout wrote:
Ants are like CANDY to trout!

Yes they are! I think you could feasibly catch every trout in a given creek on some form of an ant pattern. An ant pattern as realistic looking as the one which was shared in this thread IMO would be very difficult for a trout to pass up.

 

[nfrechet]

1. the beads are "seed" beads and yes they are small. what size they are i couldnt tell you because i dont know

2. i didnt use epoxy to coat the beads. i used a uv resin

3. the reason you got the bump at the bottom is because the material you used sagged a bit. use your bodkin to remove any excess before you cure the resin

i simply use a very light coat then i cure the resin.

if you study the photo below you will notice some sag in the uv resin material. its not a big deal really

if a little sag of the uv material is bothersome, then build a dam of thread in front and back of the bead segments (dont bother with coating the beads with anything), tie in and wrap the hackle and go fishing.


Fly tyers can be masters of making things complicated!