Foam Indicator Beetle

Here is a very simple pattern that has been kicking butt for me in a warm-water pond. I am not very experienced at tying, and I'm almost too embarrassed to post this as it is so basic, but someone asked...

I saw it described in an Orvis newsletter last year, I think, but I no longer have the article or the creator's name. He had made it larger, I think, as a result of seeing many lake trout striking his or his client's indicators. I see that Orvis has it for sale as "Indicator Beetle".

I started using it as a top fly for a dropper, but found that it wasn't as bouyant for this as I had hoped, at least in size 12. Maybe thicker or better-quality foam would help. Anyway, I recently found the specific recipe here to be a killer at a pond: [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/Forum20/HTML/002027.html:66b55]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/Forum20/HTML/002027.html[/url:66b55]

Hook: dry, fine wire, size 12, down-eye.
Body, wing, and head: 2mm closed-cell foam, orange.
Thread: 6/0 or 3/0 medium brown.
Legs: Black rubber Centpede Legs (Montana Fly Company, "Micro" size. Appear to be about same diameter as 4X tippet).

I lay a foundation of thread on the shank, then twist the thread and spiral it up and back to help keep the foam from spinning on the shank.

Cut foam strip 7mm wide for #12. For an optional slimmer body, trim the body section narrower, 4 or 5mm. Hold it over the shank with an end 1/3 of shank length back from eye, the rest hanging back beyond the bend.

Tie in a little bit down the bend. Spiral the thread up the body, pinching the foam down around the shank on both sides. Spiral back down to tie-in point. Tie in a length of leg horizontally on top with 2 wraps in an X pattern. Spiral up and tie in 3 or 4 more legs the same way.

Pull the loose end of the foam up and forward to create a curved shell/wing and tie in just ahead of the end of the body. Cut the foam off even with the end of the eye, and cut the corners to form a rounded head. Whip finish.

It might help to add cement to the shank before spiraling the body down to prevent spinning; haven't tried yet.

I plan to experiment with variations like contrasting black thread, and I have tried white/striped thicker legs, but the recipe above has given me the best results so far. I was getting strikes every cast and a landing almost every cast.

I chose the pattern because of a difficult casting situation: roll cast only from a bank with thick vegetation behind, over, and both sides, extending into the water several feet. No wading. It picks up out of the water easily and has little wind resistance. And doesn't hurt much to lose.

Dave,
Sounds great. I'll tie some up for my next pond trip.

FYI, you'll get an even stronger body if you start by tying a thin strip of the cell foam to the top of the shank. Tie in tightly, but with lots of sace betwen each thread wrap. Glue that strip of foam just before you pull the foam over to form the back.

Yes, that is what I do, I tie the foam strip to the shank at a spot a little down the bend with some of it extending 2 thirds to the eye, then spiral wrap thread on that (body) on top/around the shank. Then flip the wing/shell forward over that. Looks kind of like a miniature horseshoe crab. So from underneath, the fish sees a foam body on the shank segmented by the spiral thread, tiny squirming legs above that, then the humped, curved shell/wing above that. I suspect the layers and the contrasted tiny black legs against the orange foam may help trigger strikes. Sorry, pictures would have helped.

Oh, tonight I did try head cement on the shank and it does help prevent slipping. Also is fine without it.

This is not a display fly, this is made purely to catch 'em, and is fast & easy even for a beginning tier.


[This message has been edited by DavidInMD (edited 19 March 2006).]