Most fly patterns in your fly box imitate aquatic insects like mayflies, caddisflies, midges, and stoneflies. However, studies have shown that on some waters, during parts of the season, trout actually eat more terrestrial insects than anything else. It's in these time periods—summer through fall—that you should experiment with ant, beetle, and grasshopper imitations on your home waters.

Ants are tiny but they are prolific and many fall or get blown into the water. Trout also sometimes mistake them for midges or Tricos, which are the most important mayfly in late summer and early fall. Bow River guru Jim McLennan used to fish a #16 red ant pattern with black hackle during the Trico spinner fall with great success. His theory was that there were too many Trico naturals on the water for trout to pick out his imitation, but they would move to eat ant "candy." Mike Lawson also "unmatches" the hatch on the Henry's Fork and elsewhere, but he uses a beetle imitation. A beetle is a good searching pattern when no fish are showing.

Grasshoppers are a large insect that are often animated as they struggle on the water. Sometimes trout get keyed on hoppers and in fast riffle water will eat anything remotely similar. At other times, especially in heavily pressured, flat water such as Slough Creek in Yellowstone Park, trout become wise to faux grasshoppers and will closely inspect and refuse anything that doesn't have a heartbeat.

There are dozens and dozens of grasshopper patterns out there, and most of them catch fish. The Whitlock Hopper, Henry's Fork Hopper, Joe's Hopper, Schroeder's Parachute Hopper, and the B.C. Hopper are all effective flies, but I have caught more 20-inch trout on the Letort Hopper than any other, and it's by far the simplest grasshopper pattern out there. Tie it in black and it is an excellent cricket and cicada pattern.

Black Ant HOOK: #16-#18 standard dry fly, Tiemco 101 or Mustad R30. THREAD: Black 70-denier Ultra Thread. BODY: Black Hare-Tron dubbing. HACKLE: Black or brown.

Tying Steps

Step 1. Attach the thread to the hook. Use dubbing to make a distinctly rounded rear abdomen covering 1/3 of the hook shank.

Step 2. Tie in a slightly undersized black hackle. Ants have short legs compared to mayflies so the hackle should only extend a hook-gape distance.

Step 3. Cover the middle third (or less) of the hook shank with two to four wraps of hackle.

Step 4. Create a second dubbing ball, slightly smaller than the first, being careful not to crowd the hook eye. Use a double hitch or whip finish to complete the fly.

Foam Beetle HOOK: #10-#14 standard dry fly (Mustad R30 shown). THREAD: Black 70-denier Ultra Thread. BODY: Peacock Ice dubbing (Hareline). CARAPACE: Black 3mm fly foam. LEGS: Small round rubber. INDICATOR: Red 3mm fly foam.

CLICK HERE for a detailed video on how to tie a Foam Beetle.

Tying Steps

Step 1. Cut a ¼"-wide strip of black 3mm fly foam and cut the end to a triangle shape. The tapered portion of the foam should be 2/3 the length of the hook shank.

Step 2. Tie in the tapered end of the foam leaving the front 1/3 of the hook shank bare. Use loose gathering wraps at first and then gradually add tension to the thread so you don't cut the foam.

3. Cover the body area with Peacock dubbing or peacock herl, and position the thread at the 2/3 position.

4. Pull the foam strip forward and bind it down with two loose, then two tight wraps.

5. Clip the black foam so it extends over the hook eye. Pinch two pieces of small round rubber parallel to the fly body on one side and make an additional thread wrap at the same location to draw the center of the rubber material into the foam body. Repeat the process on the other side.

6. Bind down a 2"-long 1/16"-wide piece of red fly foam at the same position on top of the fly to help you see it on the water. Trim the red foam closely. Wrap the thread under the black foam just behind the hook eye and use a double hitch or whip finish to complete the fly.

Letort Hopper (Ed Shenk) HOOK: #4-#12 2X long nymph/dry hook (Mustad R52S shown). THREAD: Hopper yellow 140-denier Ultra Thread. BODY: Yellow poly yarn twisted and wrapped to create segmented body. WING: Mottled turkey wing under natural deer hair. HEAD: Natural deer hair, stacked and trimmed. Note: Ed Shenk's original recipe calls for a dubbed body of yellow fur. Use the dubbed fur version on smaller hook sizes. The poly yarn body is quicker for large hooks and more durable.

Tying Steps

Step 1. Tie in a strand of yellow poly yarn covering approximately ¾ of the hook shank with the long end extending past the hook bend. Position the thread at the ¾ point.

Step 2. Twist the yarn into a round, tight rope, and then wrap it forward. This creates a durable segmented body.

Step 3. Clip a ¼" section of fibers away from a turkey wing feather. The feather section should be about the same length as the hook shank. Use a pinch wrap to tie the feather section in front of the body.

Step 4. Stack and measure the deer hair so it is about the same length as the hook shank and clip the hair butts. Use a gathering wrap to tie in the clipped ends of the deer hair, then tightly secure the wing the same way as the Elk-hair Caddis, taking several turns of thread through the ends of the hair and making the final wraps and whip-finish on the bare hook shank directly behind the hook eye under the hair butts.

- advertisement -

On-Line Catalogs
A.A. Outfitters Full service, fully stocked flyshop located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Allen Brothers Quality Fishing Flies Quality is more than just a word. We use Daichii hooks and all our beadheads are tied with tungsten. Check out unique variations on a lot of the classics, plus our original patterns! Angler's Pro Shop The finest products the fly fishing industry has to offer. Bighorn Fly and Tackle Shop Montana's premium fly shops, lodging and guide service. We're dedicated to helping you experience the best Montana has to offer. Bob Henley's TIE-A-FLY 19 traditional patterns. TIE-A-FLY kits have all materials needed to tie them, instructions/illustrations, a pre-tied fly to use as a model. Gary LaFontaine's "The Book Mailer" Every angling book & media in print—10% off 3 or more. LaFontaine fly patterns & materials. FREE anti-catalog. Crystal Fly Shop Online Store Quality products at reasonable prices from Winston, Elkhorn, St. Croix, Galvan, Solitude, Idylwilde, Chota, etc. Many items 15-35% off. Custom Fly Rod Crafters Fly rod building components, tools & supplies. Dan Bailey's Online Fly Shop Outfitting fly fishermen since 1938. Equipment & information to make your next fly fishing trip be a memorable one. Fly Fishing Flies & Gear Shop RiverBum.com for premium FLIES and GEAR from Simms, Sage, Fishpond & more ... Free Shipping on orders over $25!		FlyShack.com High quality, hand-tied flies. Assortments from $.60/fly. Great selection and excellent service. Free Shipping. FlyShopCloseouts.com Now—new and expanded—with much more brand name fly fishing tackle and gear at huge savings. Save 30-50% on quality brands you will recognize in an instant. Galloup's Slide Inn Online Fly Shop Full online store offering cutting-edge flies, equipment, and the best streamer selection found anywhere in the U.S. Hills Discount Flies Fly shop quality flies at wholesale prices. Over 1,000 patterns. Check out bargains in "Hot Deals" section. Hooked On Flies 65¢-69¢ a fly. That's 3 flies for less than the retail price of one fly. 450+ Trout Fly Patterns! Madison River Fishing Co. Spring is coming! We have TONS of new gear this year. Cloudveil, Simms, Sage, Under Armour, Vosseler Reels and lots more. Click or call 800-227-7127 for catalog. www.ShopUltimateAngler.com Your steelhead and smallmouth specialists featuring Simms, Sage, Patagonia, Orvis, guide services, local fishing reports and more!