When the warm months settle over the Orange River between Hopetown and Vanderkloof, the area comes alive with the steady descent of small tan-coloured beetles. These scruffy little beetles frequently find their way onto the water’s surface, creating a constant and reliable terrestrial food source for opportunistic yellowfish. 

These prolific beetles are a familiar sight during my days on the water as a fly-fishing guide on this unique stretch of river. In this step-by-step guide, I’ll walk you through how to tie Ant’s Beetle — a simple, effective beetle dry fly pattern inspired by this local beetle population. Whether you’re new to tying or a seasoned tier, this is super simple and deadly effective pattern, (without all the bells and whistles), which has earned a permanent spot in my fly box.

What I love about this fly is that it makes a distinct “plop” when it hits the water — an irresistible trigger for hungry yellowfish, who lock onto that sound like moths to a flame. The fly also rides high and stays visible, especially in turbulent water. 

For some more insight on the success of this little beetle pattern, go check out Leonard Flemming’s dry-fly experience with Ant’s Beetle in his post “Ant’s Beetles”, and his article in The Mission issue 49, when he and his wife Michelle joined on a fly-guided mission while staying at Gkhui Gkhui River Lodge.

MATERIALS NEEDED TO TIE ANT’S BEETLE:

• Hook: Grip Emerger & Pupa 14723BL #12
• Thread: Semperfli waxed thread 6/0, or Danville’s 140 denier waxed flymaster plus 
• Dubbing: Hends spectra dub #5 Ochre
• Tan or brown foam 3mm thick
• Orange or pink foam 3mm thick
• Black round rubber legs 

Step 1: Dress the hook shank with your thread, making sure your thread wraps go slightly onto the bend of the hook, and then wrap back up the shank, resting your thread halfway between the tip of the hook and the eye. Im using the Semperfli waxed thread 6/0 – the waxiness helps grip materials better and the flatness prevents the thread from cutting through the foam when you tie your foam in.

Step 2: Cut your 3mm foam strips to the same width as what the diameter of the hook gape is. I cut a gentle taper on the tying-in end of the foam, just to make the foam taper onto the shank as it gets tied in. You can paint a small amount of super glue onto the thread bed before applying the foam to hold it firmly in place.

Step 3: Tie in the foam strip along the top of the shank, back towards the curve of the hook.

Step 4: Take your dubbing and noodle it around the thread by rubbing it through your fingers as you move down the thread. I have used the Hends Spectra Dub in Ochre, as the little fibres create a very radiant brown hue when you look at it through sunlight (quite how I imagine a fish would see it when looking up towards the fly) 

Step 5: Wrap your dubbing noodle forward all the way to the eye of the hook and then reverse wrap back to the same resting point halfway between the tip of the hook and the eye.

Step 6: Take your foam strip and fold it forward over the dubbing, and pinch it down where your thread is resting, and tie it down with 2 or 3 turns. 

Step 7: Tie in the rubber legs, along the sides of the foam. I like to use one strip, about 5cm in length, and tie in the one side first, and then loop the rubber legs over to the other side and tie down the other side, then cut the loop.

Step 8: Make another dubbing doodle and wrap it between the rubber legs, and a few turns in front of the legs, and then back between the rubber.

Step 9: Fold your foam strip backwards and tie it down between the rubber legs. Be careful not to cut the foam with the tension of your thread. Cut off the bit of foam that is sticking up. If you do not want to add a sighter then you can whip finish directly over the area where you cut the foam off.

Step 10: If you wish to add a sighter then select a bright coloured piece of 3mm foam, my preference is orange or pink. The length is not important, but make sure the foam is not as wide as the tan coloured foam. Tie in the sighter and whip finish over the sighter.

Step 11: Cut the foam sighter flat against the tan foam, and trim the rubber legs, making sure that the front legs are slightly shorter than the back legs.

Notes: You can paint the foam with a sealant however I don’t find it necessary. You can also trim the sharp edges of the foam to give the beetle body a rounder look but again it’s not necessary.

A successful beetle eat by a hungry yellowish, caught by Vian Ferreira, on Ant’s Beetle.