Maurer's Ant

 Maurer's Ant

 I had a person ask me to tie up some wet ants that can be casted with a fly rod but also from conventional rods under a bobber for pond bluegill. For weight I decided on a black nickel brass bead for the abdomen and a smaller black glass bead for the head. The black nickel will give weight to get it down and also a little attracting glare. 

Hook; #10 Mustad S82AP/3906B

Bead; 7/64 Black glass bead for head

Bead; 1/8 Black nickel brass bead for abdomen

Thread; W 3/0 22d Uni-Thread

Thorax; Black thread.

Legs; Black hackle

Zap-A-Gap

1. Place the beads on the hook with the glass bead first followed by the black nickel bead.

2.  Starting with the black thread about half the shanks length, thread back to bend. From about the start of the hook bend taper a large oval thread wrap. You want to make sure that when you push the nickel bead towards the bend the bead stops securely against the oval thread wraps. Tie off thread in front of bead.

 3. I brush the thread wraps with Zap-A-Gap

 

4. Next, push the nickel bead up against the oval thread wraps. The Zap-A-Gap should hold it in place.

5. Start another thread wrap, near halfway towards the front, and wind back to the nickel bead. Taper the thread just in front of the nickel bead and thread towards the middle between beads. This forms the back end of the thorax. 

6. Tie on the black hackle to make the legs. I try to make the back end of the thorax longer than the front portion. Usually 2 or 3 turns with the hackle, one in front of the other, makes plenty of legs. 

 7. Trim the hackle and secure. Thread wrap the rest of the thorax to behind the front glass bead adding a few extra wraps just behind the bead so the bead doesn't slide back.

 8. I brush on Zap-A-Gap on threads behind front bead and on thread between back bead and hackle.

9. Go fish it. 

~doubletaper