Foam Beetle

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

A black foam shell folded over a peacock herl body, moose hair legs at the sides and a small orange sighter on top.

Materials

Steps

  1. Attach thread Attach the thread at 75% of the way along the shank with a few turns and trim the tag end. Craven ties the pointed end of the foam in here and binds it back on top of the shank.
  2. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to the start of the bend in touching turns.
  3. Tie in: black foam strip, as wide as the gape Tie in the black foam strip, as wide as the gape with a few firm thread turns. Bound down on top to just past the bend, the long end trailing.
  4. Tie in: peacock herl Tie in 4 strands of peacock herl with a few firm thread turns.
  5. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to halfway along the shank in touching turns.
  6. Tie in: moose hair (legs) Tie 3 strands of moose hair (legs) across the shank by the middle with figure-of-eight turns, so 1.1× the gape sticks out on each side as legs. Six moose hairs crosswise, three a side.
  7. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 84% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
  8. Wind: peacock herl Wind the peacock herl forward to 84% of the way along the shank in 9 turns. Touching turns, past the legs to just behind the eye.
  9. Tie off: peacock herl Tie off the peacock herl with a few thread turns and trim the excess.
  10. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 88% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
  11. Pull over: black foam strip, as wide as the gape Pull the black foam strip, as wide as the gape forward over the top of the body and tie it down at 88% of the way along the shank. Trim the excess. Fold it over the body and lock it down with a few tight turns.
  12. Trim: black foam strip, as wide as the gape Trim the excess black foam strip, as wide as the gape, leaving a stub a quarter of the gape long over the eye as the head.
  13. Tie in: orange foam or yarn sighter Tie in the orange foam or yarn sighter, leaving 0.35× the gape sticking out behind, angled about 25° up from the shank. A narrow strip on top at the joint, trimmed short.
  14. Whip finish Form a small head, whip finish with 5 turns and cut the thread. At the joint; pull the legs down and trim them.

History

The sources credit no one with it. It is the foam descendant of the folded deer-hair Crowe Beetle, developed and popularised by John Crowe of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Deer hair wears out quickly, often after a fish or two, while a foam beetle can last through a dozen. None of the sources says when foam took over from deer hair.

Fishing it

Fish it close to the banks in summer, when beetles fall in. Let it land with a plop: George Daniel points out that trout lying deep under an undercut bank may feel the impact before they see the fly. The foam keeps it afloat, and the sighter makes the low-riding black fly easier to follow. Beetles are also a standby for panfish.

Sources