Sunken Terresterials

[Mark Hanes]

I have been thinking this week when I am at the bench that some sunken ants or even hoppers might be a good call for fishing this time of the year.  I really want a fly that won't sink in those shallow feeding lies of less than 6" deep.  This weekend I am gong to play around with some sunken wet ants if I get a chance.   Has anyone had any luck nymphing with terrestrials or have any tips on patterns?

[Dejon Hamann]

i have great success on sunken ants many times.  Just a black bead, little black dubbing and one turn of black hackle. I also consider the turd to be an really effective sunken hopper pattern

[Mark Ferringer]

I was using a sunken black ant last sunday morning on spring and took 4 or five fish on it. 

[Teddy Lutz]

Wet ants are why I love fishin black traditional ants over foam ants. If my dry ant gets denied a couple of times I simply wet it and sink it a bit. the same fish that just denied it dry will often take it wet. Its like being able to change flies w/o the hassle of changin flies. You don't have that versatility w foam bcuz they don't sink as well. I love ant fishing slow shallow banks. Heres my ant tip: ants make a little noise when they hit the water which often draws the trouts attention. I find that I get way fewer denials if I maintain dead drift from the second the fly hits to the second it is taken or denied. There is no room for adjustment or error. If I adjust the fly or mend at all I get a denial because the inspection of the fly starts the second the trout heres it land. So even if the fly lands sideways or upside down I leave it. With olives and such you can adjust the fly into the feeding lane because the trout doesn't really notice it until it is in the window but with ants and beatles I find that the "thwap" of the fly landing sparks the beginning of the insection process and a trout will shift as much as three or four feet to inspect the fly. The inspection begins alot earlier w a terrestrial.  As the trout is headed towards the fly it will stop and abandon the inspection if it sees any drag on its way to the fly. So when I fish ants my maxim is "every cast is a good cast so leave it alone." especially if the ant sinks.
I remember as a kid my mom was a girl scout leader and I had to go on all the road trips w my sister and they drove me crazy w the song "the ants came marching one by one hurrah hurrah, the ants came marching two by two hurrah hurrah........." until one hundred ants. Its a wonder I can even look at an ant after the scars of my youth, but I love em. I read an article a while back about how much protien are in ants compared to other fare. The article said that trout seem to know that so it is a very efficient food for them to grab as they just have to sit and wait in practically no current on the bank. Thats all I got. You hit my sweet spot w the ant thread.

[Todd Oishi]

Thanks for the great reply Teddy! Love the part about the song...

Here's one of my favourite patterns that I use when ants are falling into the water. Just substitute the natural deer hair for deer hair that is dyed black...



Here's a link to the detailed tying instructions for this pattern....
http://flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/042902fotw.php

[Robert Jordan]

I swear to God I read the title of this thread as sunken testicles and thought ... hmm another thread on wet wading?