Black Ant

Terrestrial imitating land insects, for trout and panfish. Beginner.

Two balls of black dubbing, the rear one larger, with a thin waist and a sparse black hackle trimmed top and bottom.

Materials

• Hook: Dry fly hook, standard shank, size 16
• Thread: Black thread, 8/0
• Abdomen: Black dry fly dubbing
• Hackle: Black cock hackle, fibres 0.9× gape
• Head: Black dry fly dubbing (head)

Steps

1. Attach thread Attach the thread at 90% of the way along the shank with a few turns and trim the tag end.
2. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to the start of the bend in touching turns.
3. Dub: black dry fly dubbing Twist a thin noodle of black dry fly dubbing onto the thread and wrap it forward to 42% of the way along the shank. A thin noodle.
4. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 8% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
5. Dub: black dry fly dubbing Twist a thin noodle of black dry fly dubbing onto the thread and wrap it forward to 38% of the way along the shank. Back and forward again, each pass shorter: a round ball, fattest in the middle.
6. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 14% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
7. Dub: black dry fly dubbing Twist a thin noodle of black dry fly dubbing onto the thread and wrap it forward to 32% of the way along the shank.
8. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 55% of the way along the shank in touching turns. Over bare shank: a thin waist.
9. Tie in: black cock hackle Tie in the black cock hackle with a few firm thread turns. Stripped stem, shiny side forward.
10. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 60% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
11. Wind: black cock hackle Wind the black cock hackle forward to 60% of the way along the shank in 3 turns. Short and sparse.
12. Tie off: black cock hackle Tie off the black cock hackle with a few thread turns and trim the excess.
13. Dub: black dry fly dubbing (head) Twist a thin noodle of black dry fly dubbing (head) onto the thread and wrap it forward to 84% of the way along the shank. A slightly smaller ball.
14. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 68% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
15. Dub: black dry fly dubbing (head) Twist a thin noodle of black dry fly dubbing (head) onto the thread and wrap it forward to 82% of the way along the shank.
16. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 72% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
17. Dub: black dry fly dubbing (head) Twist a thin noodle of black dry fly dubbing (head) onto the thread and wrap it forward to 80% of the way along the shank.
18. Whip finish Form a small head, whip finish with 5 turns and cut the thread. Behind the eye.
19. Trim: black cock hackle Cut away the fibres of the black cock hackle on top and underneath, leaving two flat rows sticking out at the sides. Optional: cut the fibres top and bottom so it sits low in the film.

History

A generic pattern with no single inventor. Charles Cotton described an artificial ant in 1676; Michael Theakston gave it the two bulbs and thin waist of the natural in 1853. Early ants were usually winged. Vincent Marinaro, who called the ant his favourite terrestrial, brought ants and other terrestrials into the mainstream in 1950.

Fishing it

Real ants float half sunk in the surface film, so dead-drift it in the film near grassy banks, bushes and trees, especially on warm, windy days that blow ants onto the water. Flying-ant swarms in mid to late summer are rare but can bring excellent dry-fly fishing. If fish refuse it, cut away the hackle underneath so it sits lower, then try a size smaller.

Sources

• Orvis: Fur Ant (Matt Grobert)
• SWTU: Cinnamon Fur Ant (Rusty Dunn)
• Panfish On The Fly: Terrestrial patterns for panfish