foam ants.....how small?

[rainbowchaser]

ahow small do you tie them? When I tried last year on 16 and 18 hooks they sank. That's not all bad when fished with a high floating indicator fly but not what I was looking for. I think it's back to crowe ants and accept their fragility unless I'm doing something wrong.

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all leaders tangle; mine are just better at it than most. Jim

[ScottP]

I use ones made out of foam cylinder - tie it in at the middle, add a few wraps of hackle (kinda look like McMurray cork bodied ants); never had a problem with floatation, tied from #16 down to #22.

Regards,
ScottP

[Lew]

Rainy's flies has the little foam cylinders. I think they still sponsor on here.

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Lew

[LigonierA1]

I tied and fish them down to a #22 and I can't tell if they're floating or sinking, can't see the darned things. But there's usually a swirl or disturbance of some sort when the fish takes, so it must be near the surface. I just set the hook and hope for the best. I find them pretty effective on tough fish....

[Rick Z]

Are you using a fine wire hook to tie them on? I have used foam for many ant pattern, but Mustads just don't work for them.

Rick

[Grn Mt Man]

rainbowchaser,

Tie my ants using foam cylinder and foam sheets and put a bright orange post on top for visibility. They are very effective for me; especially on my favorite small mountain stream. Shoot me an e-mail with your snail mail address and I'll send you both examples. Guaranteed to float!

LigonierA1,

Try your ant with a bright orange foam post on top and you'll have no problem seeing it. Get packages of the small posts at my local fly shop.

P.S. Forgot to add that when finished I coat them with "Sally Hanson Hard-as-Nails" as it tends to give the dull foam a shiny surface much like a real ant.,

[This message has been edited by Grn Mt Man (edited 13 February 2006).]

[This message has been edited by Grn Mt Man (edited 13 February 2006).]

[rainbowchaser]

Thanks guys Maybe I just can't see the small foam ants. My vision is very bad and getting worse until the cataract on my good eye gets thick enough to remove. I think I pick up the shine of the deer hair from the crowe ants. I'm going to try adding a coat of Sally Hanson and see if that helps. Green mountain man, thanks for the offer and the idea. I've put hi-vis posts on ants before and just didn't like how they looked. I think it bothers me much more than it does the fish. I may have to ignore my own easthetic reaction and try it again.

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all leaders tangle; mine are just better at it than most. Jim

[Jeremy]

I tie some of the better floaters using dry fly dubbing and wrap some dry fly hackle in that narrow portion between the head and abdomen. Make this area a bit longer to allow for hackling.

For a #18 Ant use 2 turns of black, brown or such hackle. Trim it FLUSH on the bottom.

Good luck seeing the buggers! I'm going to have to work on that one as they're really small.

So far I'll use another fly (EHC or Griff. Gnat) as an indy.

Jeremy.

[streamcaddis]

Rainowchaser, This is Dave over in Grand Rapis. Last year I tied my aunts size 14-16 used a hi vis wing and put legs on them.They workrd fntastic up on the Ausable last August. It had to be cloudy, once the sun came out the fishing was over.
..Streamcaddis..

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I was fly fishing and fly tying
before it got trendy