Flying Ant
by Tom Knoth

When the wind is up on stillwaters, surface feeding trout will instinctively look for terrestrials, and this has been my most effective fly for that situation.  The flying ant represents a big juicy helping of protein to trout, and they are helpless prey when blown into the water.  I modified the standard fly shop version of a flying ant to create this more realistic pattern, with three body segments (abdomen, thorax, head) and the yellow abdomen stripe characteristic of many of the larger flying ants found in the Sierra.

Ant patterns are also very effective in streams and can be fished on the surface or "drowned".

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