Tying the Sailor's Ant?

I searched and searched. If it is on here I didn't find it. There is a sailor's ant tied black with white head.....very much like an ant. Then there is a sailor's ant tied with cylindrical foam....sticks up in the front...black with a white head...then a hiney of black foam sticking up in a foam tube or cylindrical shape as well. Wish someone would do a fly of the week on boaf. I am such a rookie I really like the step by step instructions with pictures on this website. Iffen it's on here and I missed it......sorry

Jim

The sailor ant is real easy to tie. If you can find the Rainy brand foam cylinders at your fly shop they even have instructions inside.

I make my own foam cylinders using the foam in cheap flip flop sandles. Using plio-bond or some other high strength contact cement I glue a 1/8" white foam sheet (craft store) to a 2" wide block of foam cut from a sandle.

I use a sharpened brass tube in my drill press to cut out the cylinders. A cheap transister radio antenna is made of several diameters of brass tube with a nice chrome finish.


2 segement body

To build an ant, using a standard dry fly hook, or a long shank hook, tie in some black thread and wrap the hook shank with 2 layers of thread base, returning to the hook eye.

Tie in the foam body about 1/3 back from the eye. Wrap the thread tightly around the foam body tightly to create a small thin thorax, and a foundation for the hackle.

Tie in a black collar hackle and wrap 2-3 turns over the thread thorax, tie off.

Pull the foam cylinder up at a 45 degree angle and cut the body at angle forming the abdomen of the ant. A quite touch with the flame of a lighter and the cut edges of the foam will round over into a pleasing oval.

I like to make these about 1/3 head and 2/3 abdomen, with the thorax about the same length as the head.

3 segement body

A larger high floating body shape can be made by making a three part body with two hackle collars. After wrapping the first collar, bring the thread underneath the foam body and spiral wrap along the hook shank to the 2/3 point.
Tie down the foam forming an extra body segament, wrap a thread base and add 2-3 turns of hackle. Then clip the adomen to length. I like 1/3-/3-/3 proportions for this fly.

Thanks Ken!

That is a great description, and the radio antenna tip will come in handy. I got a lot of foam around for dremel bugs and the trimmed peices will be nice for some ants now. God thing I seldom throw anything away!

Don

And I "thank you" Ken. I was not having good luck fishing last week end and tied on a sailors ant. Big fish literally tore it in half and it is the only one I had. Someone gave it to me. I worked my way toward shore and another fellow hooked into a fighter. I was near, he netted what looked like a beautiful 20" Native Apache Trout. He had on a sailors ant! I got my boat close and took his camera and took his pic for him. Thusly...I am pretty interested in the sailors ant. Thanks for the execellent instructions.

Jim