Paul's November 2019 Fly of the Month

Drowned Ant

Hook:  Size #14 to #20 hook.  Diachii 1530 or hook of choice.

Tying thread:   6/0 black, cinnamon brown, or orange thread. 

Body:  Formed by two bumps of thread.  The rear bump slightly larger than the front bump.

Finish:  UV Resin of choice.  Both bumps are coated and cured with UV Resin.

Legs/Hackle:  Black neck hackle.

If you fly fish the Housatonic, or especially if you fish the Farmington, you want to have some ant patterns in your box.  In late August into September, keep on the ‘look out’ for massive ant hatches.  It usually happens right after a rain storm.  Although most fly guys fish floating ant patterns, I love fishing this “Drowned Ant”.  It is a very easy tie, in fact it’s probably the easiest fly to tie that I’ve ever posted.

Start your thread and create a small cylindrical bump behind the eye of the hook.  If you divide the hook into thirds, the front bump will occupy the 1^st third of the hook shank.  Next move your thread to the rear third of the fly and create a bump slightly bigger than the front one.  This bump will occupy the rear third of the hook shank.  Tie and clip off your thread.  In between the two bumps there should be a slim layer of thread to be used as a base for your legs/hackle.   Now coat both bumps of the fly with UV Resin.  Cure the resin with your UV light.  Finally, in the middle third of the fly tie in your black hackle for the legs.  Take only one or two wraps.  Tie and clip off your hackle and whip finish your ant. 

I know other ant patterns use dubbing to form the body of the fly.  I like this one because the thread and UV finish has less buoyancy.  The ant sinks better.   Remember, ants come in a few colors.  I tie some black ants, cinnamon brown ants, and orange ants.  I also mix and match colors.  I might tie an ant with a black front bump, and tie the rear of the ant in brown or orange.  My favorite way to fish it is in tandem with a nymph.  The ant is almost always my top fly. 

Jim Misiura has an excellent instructional video on how to tie a drowned ant below:

 One thing he does different than me is apply UV Resin as each segment of the ant is completed.  I find it faster to apply it before tying in my legs.  It also helps to avoid getting resin on my hackle if I apply it  after my ant bumps are completed.

If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a Fly of the Month I can be reached at 203 305-3850 or at pdinice@frontier.com .