Mike's Honey Ant Pattern & Tying Instructions
Fly Tying Recipe:
Mike's Honey Ant
Show / Hide Mike's Honey Ant Transcript Video Transcript:
Here, author, fly tier and blogger Matt Grobert is going to tie Mike's Honey Ant originated by Mike Lawson of Henry's Fork Anglers.
Matt starts with a size 16 Dai-Riki #300 dry fly hook, 14's also work well. For thread he's loaded a bobbin with 6/0 olive Danville.
Start your thread at about the halfway point on the hook shank and take wraps rearward before breaking or snipping off the tag.
For the abdomen, Matt uses copper sow scud dubbing from Wapsi. Form a thin noodle on your tying thread and take wraps first up the hook shank then back to create a roughly egg-shaped dubbing ball. End with your thread slightly forward of the mid-point on the hook shank.
Pearlescent copper crystal flash is used to form the legs of the ant. Cut three strands free from the hank. With cross wraps, secure the crystal flash perpendicular to the hook shank then wind your thread forward leaving a bit of space behind the eye.
For the fly's wing, Matt's going to use dark dun straight Zelon. Snip a strand of fibers free from the hank and then cut the ends off square. Place the fibers on the near side of the hook shank and, with a wrap, allow thread torque to carry them to the top. After a couple of turns, pull the fibers rearward until the butt ends are right behind the hook eye and then take wraps to cover them up.
For the thorax Matt uses rusty brown australian possum dubbing. Form a short thin dubbing noodle on your tying thread and then take wraps to build up a fairly small spherical thorax.
Do a 4 or 5 turn whip finish and then snip or cut your tying thread free.
Sweep both the Zelon and the crystal flash back and cut them off using the back edge of the hook as a guide. These are regularly tied in all black as well as cinnamon.
Matt starts with a size 16 Dai-Riki #300 dry fly hook, 14's also work well. For thread he's loaded a bobbin with 6/0 olive Danville.
Start your thread at about the halfway point on the hook shank and take wraps rearward before breaking or snipping off the tag.
For the abdomen, Matt uses copper sow scud dubbing from Wapsi. Form a thin noodle on your tying thread and take wraps first up the hook shank then back to create a roughly egg-shaped dubbing ball. End with your thread slightly forward of the mid-point on the hook shank.
Pearlescent copper crystal flash is used to form the legs of the ant. Cut three strands free from the hank. With cross wraps, secure the crystal flash perpendicular to the hook shank then wind your thread forward leaving a bit of space behind the eye.
For the fly's wing, Matt's going to use dark dun straight Zelon. Snip a strand of fibers free from the hank and then cut the ends off square. Place the fibers on the near side of the hook shank and, with a wrap, allow thread torque to carry them to the top. After a couple of turns, pull the fibers rearward until the butt ends are right behind the hook eye and then take wraps to cover them up.
For the thorax Matt uses rusty brown australian possum dubbing. Form a short thin dubbing noodle on your tying thread and then take wraps to build up a fairly small spherical thorax.
Do a 4 or 5 turn whip finish and then snip or cut your tying thread free.
Sweep both the Zelon and the crystal flash back and cut them off using the back edge of the hook as a guide. These are regularly tied in all black as well as cinnamon.
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