Foam Beatle

Foam beatle

 

After standing knee deep in lakes for the last years I’ve always wanted to try to tie a fly that I didn’t have a recipe for.  I’ve been checking out what is floating or swiming next to me while waiting for the fish to take my fly.

About a week ago I bought some black foam and decided I’d have a go at a beatle fly.

The first ones didn’t have any legs and look a bit silly.  The next batch of flies all had legs made from black hackle and they look pretty realistic.


Recipe:

Hook: 14 – 20 dryfly hook
Thread: Black 8/0 thread
Body: Black foam, cut into 3-5mm thick stripes
Feet: Black short hackle feather
Collar: Flurocent yellow chenille (Creates a better indicator on the water surface, but you can skip this)

How I tie the fly

I start by securing the thread and run it all the way from the eye to the bend in the hook, then I bring the thread back up to the eye. Then there is the foam, to make it easier to tie in you can cut the corners of the end so that the foam looks like an arrow.  Then fasten the narrow end down at the hook eye and secure it by bringing the thread all the way down to the hook bend.
Next there is the hackle, fasten it at the hook bend and then lay down a layer of superglue from the hook bend towards the eye.  Before the superglue hardens wrap the hackle towards the eye, leave about 3-5 mm, and tie off the hackle.  Next bend the foam from the hook bend all the way to the hook eye and fasten it 2 mm from the eye.  Cut away the excess foam in front of the hook eye so that it forms the head of the beatle.  Finish off with a whip finish and secure the knot with superglue or varnish.

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