Texas Piss Ant
Fly of the Month 06.22
There are times when fly patterns that are intended to imitate floating aquatic insects such as mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies simply fail to attract a topwater strike from trout. Maybe they are keyed on feeding in the water column or on the bottom. These conditions are very similar to the dog days of summer when there is little or no aquatic insect activity on streams. In either case, a good ant fly patterns seems to be a recipe for success.
Dale and Jerry Hodge, who were close friends and angling buddies of Don and Dwight Howell, designed an ant fly pattern that has been highly effective on Southern Appalachian stream.
Texas Piss Ant
Do not let the name mislead you. Don Howell named the fly pattern because the initial, highly productive fly pattern they used on Hazel Creek was a size 10 or “big” like everything touted from Texas.
“Due to the overgrown size, brown hackle and white wings, the fly is not impressive, as ant fly patterns go. But because dad (Don Howell) was so impressed with the fly, we (Dwight Howell and Kevin Howell) decided to tie a few and try them out. It truly does catch trout when other traditional fly patterns fail.” - Kevin Howell
When trout are more-selective or refuse conventional fly patterns, even smaller versions of this fly pattern are usually productive. Who knows, a trout may see the silhouette of a caddisfly due to the dark body and wing.
The position of the poly yarn wing traps air and the oversized, trimmed hackle both make this fly pattern a super floater. The white wing also provides a hi-vis element to the fly pattern making the prominently visible in the water, an advantage not typical of ant fly patterns.
Note: Don Howell was Kevin Howell’s father. Dwight Howell was Kevin Howell’s uncle. Don and Dwight were brothers that founded the Davidson River Outfitters. Kevin Howell is now the owner. This fly pattern is from the book Tying & Fishing Southern Appalachian Trout Flies written by Don Howell with contributions from Kevin Howell and published in 1999 by Davidson River Outfitters (DRO).
Texas Piss Ant
Fly of the Month 06.22
Tom Adams and Alen Baker
There are times when fly patterns that are intended to imitate floating aquatic insects such as mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies simply fail to attract a topwater strike from trout. Maybe they are keyed on feeding in the water column or on the bottom. These conditions are very similar to the dog days of summer when there is little or no aquatic insect activity on streams. In either case, a good ant fly patterns seems to be a recipe for success.
Dale and Jerry Hodge, who were close friends and angling buddies of Don and Dwight Howell, designed an ant fly pattern that has been highly effective on Southern Appalachian stream.
Texas Piss Ant
Do not let the name mislead you. Don Howell named the fly pattern because the initial, highly productive fly pattern they used on Hazel Creek was a size 10 or “big” like everything touted from Texas.
“Due to the overgrown size, brown hackle and white wings, the fly is not impressive, as ant fly patterns go. But because dad (Don Howell) was so impressed with the fly, we (Dwight Howell and Kevin Howell) decided to tie a few and try them out. It truly does catch trout when other traditional fly patterns fail.” - Kevin Howell
When trout are more-selective or refuse conventional fly patterns, even smaller versions of this fly pattern are usually productive. Who knows, a trout may see the silhouette of a caddisfly due to the dark body and wing.
The position of the poly yarn wing traps air and the oversized, trimmed hackle both make this fly pattern a super floater. The white wing also provides a hi-vis element to the fly pattern making the prominently visible in the water, an advantage not typical of ant fly patterns.
Note: Don Howell was Kevin Howell’s father. Dwight Howell was Kevin Howell’s uncle. Don and Dwight were brothers that founded the Davidson River Outfitters. Kevin Howell is now the owner. This fly pattern is from the book Tying & Fishing Southern Appalachian Trout Flies written by Don Howell with contributions from Kevin Howell and published in 1999 by Davidson River Outfitters (DRO).
Texas Piss Ant
Fly of the Month 06.22
Tom Adams and Alen Baker
Texas Piss Ant
Recipe :
Hook : Tiemco 3679 heavy nymph or equivalent size 18,16,14,12
Thread : Black Uni 8/0 or equivalent
Body : Black Uni 8/0
Wing : White Poly Yarn
Hackle : Coachman Brown Rooster
Directions :
Recipe :
Hook : Tiemco 3679 heavy nymph or equivalent size 18,16,14,12
Thread : Black Uni 8/0 or equivalent
Body : Black Uni 8/0
Wing : White Poly Yarn
Hackle : Coachman Brown Rooster
Directions :
- Debarb and mount the hook adding thread just behind the hook eye.
- Wrap the thread in tight touching turns to the hook bend and slightly down the bend.
- Bring the thread forward to two eyelengths back from the eye. Repeat taking the thread toward the bend but stopping short and return to the thorax, stopping short. Do this three times and stop short each time. This will build a tapered thread body.
- Choose a rooster hackle that is about one and one half the hook gape and strip a quarter inch of barbs from the base to use in tying in.
- Tie in the striped stem with the shiny side toward the eye and at about the halfway mark and then advance the thread to the thorax once secure.
- Advance the hackle in tight touching turns for about five wraps and bind in with the thread.
- Cut away the waste hackle and select a piece of poly yarn. Secure the poly yarn on top of the hook shank with several turns to cover and trim any waste poly and form a small thread head. Whip,
- finish and trim the waste thread.
- Trim the poly yarn to the length of the hook shank before the bend.