Amy’s Ant

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1. About Amy’s Ant

Invented by industry legend Jack Dennis, Amy’s Ant won the Yellowstone Angler One Fly contest in 1999. As a result, the pattern has been carried by Umpqua ever since.  Like most attractors, numerous effective color variations have evolved since then, making it one of the best flies for trout.

2. When and How To Fish It

You may be trying to carefully match the hatch, but the fish just aren’t buying it. If you start wondering how to catch trout in the first place, then change gears and throw them an Amy’s Ant. They may not know what hit them.

You can fish the AA like any large terrestrial such as a grasshopper, except use it year round, using the following techniques:

• Float it near and under overhanging vegetation
• Use a dropper smaller fly with it, such as an emerger, soft hackle, or nymph
• Float it right past the eddy line below riffles and constrictions in the river
• Skate it over the surface at night to attract larger fish, like you would a mouse pattern

When using Amy’s Ant, be ready for quick, hard strikes!

3. Tie It, or Buy It?

For fly tying, this is an intermediate difficulty fly, requiring a range of skills and several different materials.

.4. Basic Amy’s Ant Fly Recipe Card

• Hook: dry fly hook of your choose, sizes #6 – 10
• Thread: Black, brown, or tan 3/0 monocord, to match the colors you choose for the rest
• Under-body: 2 mm fly foam (usually tan, or other light color)
• Over-body: 2 mm fly foam, in black, tan, rust, purple
• Legs: Medium thickness rubber, in black, brown, mottled, or actually any color you’d like!
• Hackle (if used): Brown rooster neck or saddle, trimmed short.
• Body: Krystal Chenille in the color of your choosing, in this case red/flash
• Under-wing: Krystal Flash, rainbow
• Over-wing: Cow or yearling elk hair, in gray, white, or color you choose
• Thorax: red wire or dubbing, or color you choose

5. How To Tie Amy’s Ant

We think that this video by Jack Dennis – the creator if this award winning fly – obviously covers it as well as anyone could!

Learn To Tie Amy’s Ant From The Creator Jack Dennis

6. Buy It

If you prefer to purchase, here’s an option for you: