Krystal Beetle
By Elaine Cook
Krystal Beetle
By Elaine Cook
Summertime and into fall is the time for terrestrials. Beetles and ants are like trout candy but many of the patterns imitating them are difficult to see on the water because they're black. Here's a beetle pattern that is black to trout, easy to see on the water, and very easy to tie.
Hook: Tiemco TMC 5210 sizes 10 & 12
TDE 1XF, 1XL, also Daiichi 1170, Dai-Riki 300, Mustad R50, Partridge E1A. Most catalogs no longer list these 1XF, 1XL dry fly hooks. Substituting standard dry fly hooks in sizes 8 & 10 or 2XL hooks in sizes 12 & 14 will give the same shank length.
Thread: black 8/0
Body: black sheet foam over medium black flash (mylar) chenille
Hi-Viz Tuft: fluorescent chartreuse poly yarn
1. Crimp barb.
2. Attach thread mid-shank and wrap to rear of shank.
3. Cut a strip of foam 3/5 as wide as the hook shank length.
4. Cut a taper on one end as shown in the diagram.
5. Securely tie the tapered end in, with the strip extending to the rear.
6. Tie in the chenille at the rear of the shank. You may wish to strip the fibers off of the last 1/4" of the chenille and tie in by the bare thread core. Bring the thread forward to one eye length behind the eye.
7. Wrap the chenille forward in touching wraps, stroking the fibers to the rear to avoid binding fibers down with succeeding wraps. Tie off at one eye length behind the eye.
8. Bring foam strip forward snugly over the chenille and tie down securely behind the hook eye. Place a firm half-hitch over the tie-down wraps.
9. Lay a strand of poly yarn along the hook shank over the foam. Take two secure wraps of thread over the yarn at the foam tie-down point, then place a firm half-hitch behind the hook eye, under the foam.
10. Whip finish at the eye and cut excess thread.
11. Pull both ends of the poly yarn upright. Holding them together, cut across at one hook gape above the tie-down. Fluff the yarn.
12. Pull the end of the foam strip forward and cut the excess over the eye, as shown in the diagram.
Fly Pattern News
It's always fun to report success in catching fish with patterns we have recently tied. The Simple Stimulator, tied in the January fly tying class in size 8 was a killer in the Owens River Gorge in April. The Olive Sparkle Body Midge, Fly of the Month in March, attracted great numbers of fish in Pleasant Valley Reservoir, and even in the high, fast water of the lower Owens River. I recommend having a bunch of them in your fly box. - Elaine Cook