Nick Simonson
By Nick Simonson
Few flies are as hardy and as hard to sink as the foam ant, and while spring has arrived and the real ants now on the ground herald the fact the season is likely to stick around, the social insects are also a harbinger of summer, but in a different form. On those hot, lazy afternoons after bluegills have invaded the shallows, ant patterns are true staples when it comes to flipping flies with a roll cast around a dock or getting one out a bit further to ply the edge of nearby lily pads where bull panfish lurk. From the simple to the ornate, a selection of foam ant flies will keep the action going all season long.
Start Simple
It doesn't take much to make that first foam ant and they are one of the easiest flies to tie even if one were so inclined to add in all the extras. Simply a snippet of foam tied down on a dry fly hook in its the center will create a two-segment body that could easily be cast out into the water and catch inquisitive rising bluegills all day. But for the sake of realism, adding a middle section to the fly helps seal the deal when panfish come in to take a look.
Flattening the middle stretch of that same foam snippet with a few thread wraps provides an ideal place to tie in a few turns of dry fly hackle to adorn the pattern with the look of legs holding against the surface tension. While they're not needed for buoyancy – the foam itself is enough of a flotant – they do help, and the tiny feather fibers give just a bit more of that insectile impression on the surface.
Bug Out
In time, adding more to a pattern is just what fly tiers do. The same holds true with some super fun warm water ant patterns. During the ant hatch – when winged males and future queens emerge from the nest to take to the skies and mate – putting a small wing of antron or even a white feather from a rooster pheasant's neck over the abdomen of the fly can be a convincing addition to the pattern. On top of that, it serves as a sight indicator as well, making the fly a bit easier to track on the water with the white post quickly picked up when scanning the surface.
In place of hackle or the wing, one can also tie in two legs made of silicone strands. Simply hold them alongside the foam to form an X which lines up with the center of the pattern for something different. Even off-color legs can provide something new for fish to look at, and getting gaudy can create fun attractor patterns that pulse when pulled across the surface of the water, thanks to the plastic legs at front and back of the fly.
Smack 'Em!
Foam flies aren't delicate patterns. They're designed to draw attention from aggressive fish and get them to rise. So, if your fly cast is just coming along, don't worry. If the fly lands with a smack on the surface and makes a splash, that's quite alright. The foam displaces water on landing and quickly grabs the notice of nearby panfish, the semi-realistic appearance of the ant pattern in turn seals the deal when 'gills come in for a closer look. Simply let the water settle and hold on, fish will likely move in quite quickly. Don't worry about finesse, just fish!
Putting some favorite ant patterns on the vise now is a quick and easy process which also allows for some creativity to come up with the next great foam pattern for summer. Tie a bunch of your favorite foam ants up, test a few new ones out in the warming days ahead, and keep things floating high all summer long.
Simonson is the lead writer and editor of Dakota Edge Outdoors.
Featured Photo: Wingin' It! Foam ants can be kept simple or have fun additions like hackle legs and wings like this one tied from the neck feathers of a rooster pheasant. Either way, they're likely to catch plenty of willing bluegills up top all season long! Simonson Photo.
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