As with the previous ant post, this is a snip from the July ’09 E-List mailing. I promised the E-List that I would add some info here on the blog (on fly tying, specifically). The tying part is coming up next. Actually, this is post 3 of 6 (each terrestrial subject will have two parts). Two posts on grasshoppers are forthcoming.

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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 continue our discussion with a look at beetles.

Beetles: Like ants, beetles can be found in a lot of places that also contain trout. With their strong, often dark profiles, beetles make for an obvious mark when seen from underwater. In addition, beetle imitations can also look like a snail, a caddis, and other food items. This can make beetles more than “one-hit wonders,” and they can be surprisingly successful as a general “searching” dry fly.

There are several beetle patterns that I like. At the most-basic level, there is the Crowe deer-hair beetle and a hackled Thompson-style foam beetle. The Crowe is fragile, relatively speaking, but it has caught enough fish for me that I don’t really care. If I feel that I need to get more sophisticated, I may go to a hot-spot-style beetle, or other designs created specifically for places like New Zealand and the Tasmanian gum forests.

As with ants, I usually fish beetles dead-drift in both flowing and still waters. And like ants, I may also add a twitch or two when I feel it is necessary to get a fish’s attention. Pairing a beetle with another fly—such as a small Pheasant Tail nymph—can be also be worth your time when prospecting summer waters. As with ants, deeper summer runs can also be plied with a sunken beetle, fished down near the bottom like a nymph. A floating design anchored with a couple of small split shot usually does the trick.

Up next…Tying a Foam Beetle.