Chernobyl Ant
by Elaine Cook
Here is one of many Chernobyl ant patterns for you to add to your arsenal of flies. Chernobyl ants are an excellent pattern for attracting good sized fish, both trout and bass. They work well to imitate hoppers, stone flies, salmon flies, ants, beetles, and just about anything big and buggy. They also work well as an indicator or in a dropper situation.
| Hook: | TMC 5262; size 8 |
| Thread: | 3/0 monocord |
| Hackle: | brown neck hackle (try other necks for variation) |
| Body: | 2 mm thick closed cell foam 9"x12" sheets are available at craft stores or Beverly's Fabrics on Soquel near 41st Ave. Many color combinations and sizes are very effective In nature, insects are darker on top and lighter on the bottom Some common colors are: black, gray, white, brown, tan, yellow, greens and orange. The original Chernobyl was black over gray |
| Legs: | Rubber legs Once again, a variety of colors. A good guide would be to match the color of the body foam or white or black. Mottled or flecked varieties are also available |
| Post: | 2 mm foam, white or a bright color |
| Glue: | Zap-A-Gap (use very small amounts each time) |
Note: These directions are for a small fly. To make a larger Chernobyl, cover more of the shank with thread, use larger pieces of foam, attach foam farther back and forward on the hook shank or use a larger hook.
1. Crimp barb.
2. Attach thread behind the eye, wrap to behind hook point covering shank, then forward to 2 eye lengths behind the eye.
3. Select hackle feathers whose barbs are 2 - 3 times greater than the hook gap.
4. Tie in tip, half hitch thread then suspend on rear of vise. Palmer hackle in close wraps, keeping feather flat as it goes around the shank, back to the end of the thread wraps. Tie off, cut off excess. Half hitch with a small drop of glue to the knot. Allow to dry. Suspend thread to rear. Cut barbs off top of shank leaving stubble. Cut all other barbs the length of the hook gap.
5. Cut two pieces of foam per pattern. Lay one on top of the other and place on top of shank with ends matching up with front of hook eye and rear of hook. Tie in with several snug wraps.
6. Cut 4 rubber legs, each about 1 1/4" in length.
7. Attach one on each side of body (see example).
8. Lift foam, apply glue to shank almost to hook eye. Advance thread 1/8", working through hackle so it doesn't mat down. Wrap down only lower layer of foam, with several snug wraps. Repeat this step until you have 4 bulbous segments. Glue top of last wrap. Bring top foam forward. Wrap in place, with several snug wraps.
9. Attach one leg on each side (see example).
10. Cut small piece of foam in a rectangle. Tie in place on top of body (snug wraps).
11. Advance thread to behind hook eye and underneath foam head. Tie off with half hitches. Cut thread.
12. Drop of glue on underside at front and rear thread wraps.
13. Even length of legs if needed.
14. For fun; dots on back and eyes on sides of head with Sharpie pen.
15. Trim hackle tips about 1/2 hook gap.