Beginner’s Fly Tying: Tying Terrestrial Patterns

By Don Fine

Over the past several months our Beginner’s (virtual) Fly Tying sessions have been a great success. We are thrilled to report again that over 20 club members participated in June by tying two variations of the Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear nymph. As noted in previous issues of Streamlines, our goal for the Beginner’s program is focused on learning fundamental fly tying skills. As such each month participants learn new tying techniques and use of new materials in tying the respective fly pattern(s).

With the coming of summer months, various fresh water fish opt to feed on larger insect species, such as grasshoppers, crickets, ants, and beetles. Insects such as these are commonly referred to as terrestrials — insects which live their entire life cycle on land. In contrast, an insect which lives predominantly all of its life cycle in the water is called an aquatic species.

We have chosen two terrestrial fly patterns for the July Beginner’s (Virtual) Fly Tying: a foam beetle and a foam grasshopper. In tying these representations of terrestrial insects, tiers will learn techniques for segmentation of the fly and application of new synthetic materials which represent the body, wings, and legs of the fly.

During summer months fishing a terrestrial pattern as a single fly, in tandem with another terrestrial, or with a nymph dropper can turn a slow day into an event to remember.

As compared to the cold or cooler months when fish hunker toward the bottom of the stream or river, in warmer months the same fish are looking to the surface for something large to eat.

As last month, those who intend to participate will need to register in advance in order receive by mail the tying materials for the pattern. Here are the details:

No later than July 13, head to the PVFF website to sign up for our Fly Tying at a Distance event. We will mail you the hooks and materials needed to tie this month’s flies. All instructions for tying these patterns will be available online by July 15. Then consider sending us a photo of your fly and/or you at the vice to contact@potomacvalleyflyfishers.club — we’ll post all of the photos we receive on the club website!

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Instructions for Tying Common Terrestrial Patterns

Materials for Tying a Grasshopper *

• Hook – size 10 streamer
• Abdomen, thorax and head – Craft foam strips (width = hook gap)
• Wing – EP fibers or poly yarn
• Legs – barred Silly Legs
• Sight indicator – flame orange egg yarn
• Thread – 6/0 color to match the foam

Materials for Tying an Ant*

• Hook – size 12 terrestrial hook or dry fly hook
• Abdomen, thorax, and head – Craft foam strips (either black or brown), width= hook gap
• Legs – black saddle hackle
• Sight indicator – flame orange egg yarn
• Thread – 6/0 black or dark brown

Materials for Tying a beetle*

• Hook – size 12 terrestrial hook or dry fly hook
• Abdomen, thorax and head – Craft foam strips
• Under side of abdomen – peacock herl
• Legs – barred Silly Legs
• Sight indicator – flame orange egg yarn
• Thread – 6/0 color to match the foam

*Also useful for tying all patterns: sharpie marker pens (e.g. brown), cyanoacrylate cement

Steps for Tying a Grasshopper

1. After pinching down the hook barb and inserting the hook in the vise. Begin thread wrap immediately behind the hook eye and wrap along hook shank stopping at the beginning of hook bend (or directly above the hook barb).
2. Select a piece of craft foam approximately 2” long. Make several slash marks on one side of the foam with a sharpie marker to represent mottling of the abdomen. Then cut one end into a blunt point (represents the tail). While holding the foam on top of the hook shank with the pointed end protruding ~3/8” beyond the bend and to the rear of the hook, make 2-3 tight thread wraps (segmenting the foam at this point). This section of foam represents the tail of the hopper.
3. Lift forward section of the foam up while advancing thread wraps on the hook shank stopping

~ 1/2” to the rear of the hook eye. Make 2-3 tight thread wraps (segmenting the foam at this point). This section of foam represents the abdomen of the hopper.

• Again lift the forward section of foam and advance thread wraps on the hook shank stopping approximately 1/4” behind the hook eye.  Make 2-3 tight thread wraps (segmenting the foam at this point). This section of foam represents the thorax of the hopper. Before proceeding, turn the fly over and apply several drops of cyanoacrylate cement or fly head cement to the underside of the fly.
• Return the fly upright in the vise and secure a small clump of EP fibers*, (which will represent the wing of the fly) at this point with several thread wraps. The EP fibers should not extend beyond the tail of the fly. *stacked deer hair can be used as an alternative for the wing. It is helpful to pause at this point and put a small drop of the cyanoacrylate cement (or head cement) on the thread which is holding the EP fibers in place.
• Fold the remaining section of foam back on itself to create a head for the fly. The fold should not go past the eye of the fly. Then secure the fold with several thread wraps at this point (the thread should still be at the same location where the thorax and the wing material was secured.
• Clip off the remaining foam in the shape of a blunt arrow immediately to the rear of where the fold of foam was secured.
• Starting on the side closest to the tier, fold a short segment of silly-legs around the tying thread and make two wraps around the fly. Then fold a second segment of silly-legs around the tying thread and secure it in place on the side opposite the tier.
• Take a small segment of orange yarn and wrap it around the tying thread and secure it to the top of the fly at the same location where the leg segments are held in place. One wrap of thread around the base of the yarn (post) will help it stand up making it easier for the fly fisher to see.
• Clip off the additional yarn post leaving about 1/8” post, and whip finish or half-hitch the thread before finishing the fly.

Steps for Tying an Ant

1. After pinching down the hook barb and inserting the hook in the vise. Begin thread wrap immediately behind the hook eye and wrap along hook shank stopping at the beginning of hook bend (or directly above the hook barb). Wrap thread forward again to the eye.
2. Cut a section of foam 1 ½” in length and width approximately = gap of the hook. Shape one end of the foam into an elongated point approximately ¾’ from one end of the foam.
3. Place the foam on top of the hook with the narrow point of the foam where the thread is hanging, just behind the hook eye. (The remainder of the foam strip will now be at the rear of the hook, beyond the hook bend). While holding the foam on top of the hook begin to make tight thread wraps over the foam until the thread is hanging directly above the hook barb.  Make tight thread wraps forward over the foam, stopping at a point approximately 2/3 forward toward the hook eye.  Put a drop of cement along the section of the fly where the foam is now tied in place.
4. Fold the loose portion of foam forward to the point where the thread is now hanging and make several tight thread wraps at this point (the abdomen of the fly is now complete).
5. At the same location tie in one small saddle hackle feather by its tip using two thread wraps. Then with hackle pliers make 2-3 wraps of hackle around the foam and hook shank. Secure the hackle with 2 more thread wraps, one behind and one in front of the hackle stem. Carefully cut off the stem and tip of the hackle feather.
6. Then lift the foam up and make thread wraps forward to the hook eye. Again secure the foam immediately behind the hook eye with 2-3 thread wraps (the thorax of the fly is now complete). The remaining portion of foam which should be covering the hook eye can be cut off (forward of the hook eye) in a blunted point representing the head of the fly.
7. Returning to the point where the thread is still hanging (interface between the thorax and head), tie in a short length of egg yarn (as was done on the grass hopper). Trim to ~<1/8” length.
8. Whip finish or half-hitch the fly and cut tying thread.

 Steps for Tying a Beetle Imitation

1. Steps 1-3 for the beetle pattern are the same as for the ant pattern above.

4.   Secure two pieces of peacock herl at the location where the tying thread is hanging. Then wrap both pieces of peacock herl to the rear of the fly stopping at the bend of the hook and then returning the peacock herl wraps to where the thread is hanging. Secure the herl with several thread wraps, cutting away the excess herl.

5. Fold the loose portion of foam forward to the point where the thread is now hanging (i.e. 2/3 forward to the hook eye) and make several tight thread wraps at this point (the abdomen of the fly is now complete).

6. Starting on the side closest to the tier, fold a short segment of silly-legs around the tying thread and make two wraps around the fly. Then fold a second segment of silly-legs around the tying thread and secure it in place on the side opposite the tier.

7. While holding the loose section of foam up, advance the thread wraps forward stopping just short of the hook eye and make 2-3 tight wraps of thread around the foam securing it in place at this location. (The thorax of the fly is now complete). At this point the tier has the option of inserting another small length of indicator yarn (follow step 7 above, i.e. Tying an Ant).

8. The remaining portion of foam which should be covering the hook eye can be cut off (forward of the hook eye) in a blunted point representing the head of the fly. Whip finish or half hitch the thread finishing the fly.