The Foam beetle is the simplest fly I tie. It
came from the saltwater gurgler and the foam
spider. It's simply a 1/4" x .02" strip of craft
foam about 2" long. cut like a picket fence. lay
on top the hook with the point just behind the eye and
tie in. I usually start at the tip and wrap back to just
in front of the bend. This is the way you
tie the foam on a gurgler. Bring the thread back
to the front. Fold the foam forward, also like the
gurgler,(don't make it to tight) then secure the foam
Fold the leg material in two, lay lay it on the back of
the fly and secure it at the head. Clip the leg material
at the bend and pull two legs to each side. This
is the way you tie the legs on a foam spider. Cut off
excess leg material and foam above head and you're done.
You can tie this fly in well under 5 minutes.
My wife and I were spending a week just outside Murphy,
NC. A fellow from the rod builders list
volunteered to take me fishing, so we arranged to fish
the Toccoa River, north of the dam. After some luck with
a red san juan worm, we decided to move down the river a
bit. I'd tied up a bunch of the beetles in tan,
the night before, so I tied one on.
I hadn't made many casts when the line went tight and I
brought a fat rainbow to hand. I continued to have
success with the pattern all morning,
Getting home I found that it works for bream and bass
too. |
