This is a snip from the last (July ’09) E-List mailing. I promised the E-List that I would add some info here on the blog (on fly tying, specifically). That part is coming up next. Actually, this is post 1 of 6 (each terrestrial subject will have two parts). Posts on beetles and grasshoppers are forthcoming!

- – - – - – - – - -

Terrestrial fishing can run the gamut from miniscule ants, to plump beetles, to grasshoppers big enough to have both light meat and dark. These insects can create opportunistic and selective feeding among trout, and can sometimes bring very large fish to the surface at the zenith of the day. With that in mind, let’s begin our discussion with a look at ants.

Ants: I typically fish ants dead-drift (or “reduced drag”) in the surface film. If prospecting for fish, I will work all of the likely feeding lies, which at the height of summer can be quite shallow and require a cautious approach. In flowing waters, I like to use up-and-across or down-and-across presentations if possible to reduce chances of lining a fish. Patience can be a virtue with summer ants, particularly if you suspect fish are slowly cruising in an eddy or other slack or stillwater area. I have more than a few remembrances of youthful haste when I ripped my fly from the surface just as a previously unseen fish was moving to take it. So close, yet so far!

In lakes, I will fish the margins—especially if they are laden with brush or grass. I am admittedly a sight-fishing addict and will pursue that avenue whenever possible. If I spot a fish, I will cast far enough in front of it to avoid spooking it and let the ant sit. When the fish gets closer, I will give the ant a twitch. If that doesn’t get the fish’s attention, I’ll twitch the fly again. I have watched fish that I would have sworn did not see the fly, swim along with seeming nonchalance and at the last second tip up and take. I have also seen fish put off by excessive fly movement, so I prefer to error on the side of understatement first, then ramp up the action if I’m not getting attention.

Like the other members of the terrestrial “big three,” ants can come in a wide range of sizes and colors. They are also a seemingly ubiquitous part of the environs where trout are found. As such, carrying ant patterns in at least a couple of sizes and colors—I like black, cinnamon/red and tan (or “clay” as my father, Gary, prefers)—is a good idea in trout country (ants can also double as mayfly emergers).

If you already have an idea of the types of ants found on your favorite waters, then you can obviously tie or buy flies to best match those insects. If I know that I am going to be spending considerable time on terrestrial-laden waters, I will also carry a sinking ant pattern (usually black), and fish it like a small nymph. Such flies can be surprisingly good, and I have seen fish take a sinking ant after ignoring a floating one.

Up next…tying the Para-Ant.