Iris Ant

[wyoflyschmidty]

Drawing inspiration from the wing of an Iris Caddis, I made an ant. An Iris Ant.





Hook: Firehole 413, Size 18
Thread: Veevus 14/0, Black
Body: FTD Congo Hair, Black, tied in a loop over the front and back of the hook (back loop slightly larger than front loop)
Hackle: Black

[Steve Molcsan]

Very nice ,

Thinking out of the box ,,,

Like it a bunch...

[wyoflyschmidty]

Very nice ,

Thinking out of the box ,,,

Like it a bunch...

Thanks! Excited for some warmer weather so I can see if the fish like it as well.

[James Smith]

Very clever.

Jim Smith

[ScottP]

Cool fly; can you actually see it on the water or just look for the splash when a trout hits it?

Regards,
Scott

[jcampbell]

Agree with Scott. Most of us need to see the fly. Seeing this little guy on the water will be a problem. I tied some black foam wood ants #14 last year and gave a half dozen to a guide friend to try. The fly actually had white hackle wings. The friend reported back that his clients could not see the fly and complained about that aspect. Don't know if they caught fish on it, but I have. Since then, I tied a small orange foam indicator on the back and a different material for the wings. Now, it is easier to see and floats much better. Certainly helps with visibility that is important for a dry fly.

[ScottP]

Poor eyesight plus crappy casting ability has led me to incorporate hot orange (I find white to be a poor indicator choice for me, especially in rougher, foamy water) into a lot of my smaller dries.

Regards,
Scott

[nfrechette]

thats different! cool!

[wyoflyschmidty]

Cool fly; can you actually see it on the water or just look for the splash when a trout hits it?

Regards,
Scott

This fly in particular was more of a proof-of-concept. Definitely fishable but I agree no way visible. I have a winged version I'll try to post later today that is much more visible and honestly looks a lot buggier. I actually thought about tying some of these parachute style with a hi-vis post as well, just haven't had the time. I'll try to give that a shot later this week.

[ScottP]

I actually thought about tying some of these parachute style with a hi-vis post as well, just haven't had the time. I'll try to give that a shot later this week.

A parachute version would be interesting; hope you get to tie some up.

Regards,
Scott