Another Ant question!

[thrisss]

I never came across a recipe for a flying ant pattern before (the “rysmier” kind) and most bait fisherman if asked will rank them under the top 5 bait forms to use. Has anyone seen/tied/experimented with a pattern for this insect before? Or should we except that it is so ineffective that no one bother tying them?

[smallstreams.co.za]

Try these:

http://www.westfly.com/patterns/dry/ants.shtml
http://www.fedflyfishers.org/FlyOfMonth/ants.htm
http://flydepot.com/flyfishing/fly-p...sort=4a&page=1
http://freespace.virgin.net/fly.fishing/ant.html
http://www.fieldandstream.com/fields...465651,00.html

[Yellowfever]

My theory is that the baities use whatever is easy to collect or available. They do use a shrimp often on the Vaal, but I've never heard of any fishing caddis larvae.

I have never come accross a good hatch of them on the Vaal, but I suppose the fish would be fiarly selective if they do end up on the water. You can try chumming with pieces of termite mound placed upstream .

On Sterkies the only ants I have come across were the small black flying ant. They certainly get the fish locked into a very selective feeding pattern. For those I suggest the CDC ant found here http://www.danica.com/flytier or under one of Mario's links. With these it pays to go as sparse as possible, they are small size 18, with only the slightest impression of wings.

I do have some temite patterns, but they are serious tippet twisters with those long wings.

[thrisss]

SWEET - thanks guys, will have a look at all the patterns and try to tie some for experimentation! Chris is also going to send some patterns so might end up having a whole separate box of flies for all the ant patterns

[Yellowfever]

SWEET - thanks guys, will have a look at all the patterns and try to tie some for experimentation! Chris is also going to send some patterns so might end up having a whole separate box of flies for all the ant patterns

My momma used to say:"life is like a box of flies, you never know what they gonna refuse next!"

[chris williams]

The bait guys do actually fish with caddis larvae and pupae - it's been a fav in UK since before Uncle Izaak's time, but agree unsure how popular it is here.

Termite imitations - I think they generally start their 'wedding nuptials' next month. My short-term project is also to try tie a non-tippet-twister! I know fish do enjoy them when they're swarming all over the place - I guess you just need ensure your's is the one of thousands they go for, so maybe an extra 'trigger' like fluo yellow ribbing or something might stand out?

[Yellowfever]

I've been thinking From experience the fish (trout and yellows) are right on the surface, mouths open and feeding like whales do. So to get into them one has to get a accurate cast right into the path of the fish. We cannot compete with 100s with one floating immitation.

On the wings, I reckon as sparse as possible. The spent flies gives very little impression of wings on the water - few strands of flash or white cdc.
Carl

[armand]

A flying ant (rysmier) fall on the Vaal is true mayhem. All species abandon caution to cash in. This usually happens at dusk, and the bugs create a lot of disturrbance on the surface. Any large dry fly will work, especially if it can push a lot of water. I like fishing a DDD on a constant hand twist retrieve, the yellows come bow waking in after it!

On YF's comment, I have used caddis and dragonfly larvae as bait, it works so-so. I also know of old folk in the Klerksdorp area who used to chop down a whole termite mound and deposit this at the top of a riffle. For the next day or so they would clean up on the yellows in the chum line!