Theo’s Ant
My friend, Theo Bakelaar from Holland, has been fishing a foam ant over the last few days, and doing very well with it. It’s very fast and easy to tie, and uses readily available materials. His precut bodies have a narrow waist, but I tie it with a strip of foam that is all the same width and it works just fine. This pattern works well for elongate beetles, too. It’s very fast to tie and gives a great surface silhouette.
Tie in broom fibers for the legs.
Bend the ends of the legs downward and tie in a peacock herl body.
Tie in the body at the center of the shank and add a hackle. The dot can be any color. I use “puff” paint–fabric paint that puffs a bit as it dries.
A nice big rainbow that took the ant with confidence.