Post by Charlie Dickson on Aug 10, 2007 14:18:45 GMT -5
This is an interesting ant pattern developed in Pennsylvania by a guy named Ed Sutryn and named after his home town.. I believe he even held a patent on the pattern. In any event it is a great working pattern. Not many people make this fly anymore so other than making your own you may have difficulty finding them. Here is a tutorial on them that I put together. Keep in mind that like anything there is more than one way to make this fly. This is just the method I use.
Hook : 14 - 22 (dry)
Thread : Black, red or brown.
Body : Two pieces of balsa wood joined with monofilament. Painted black, red or brown.
Hackle : Black, red or brown dry fly hackle (sometimes a āVā is cut in the bottom of the hackle to make it float more flush in the surface film.)
I have found that for this fly it is best to start with a 1/8inch square stick of balsa wood.
![](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8639/15493320183_669b8279af_o.jpg)
Grab the stick by one end with one hand and wrap a piece of fine sand paper around the other end and begin to spin the stick against the sand paper and round off the square edges creating a cylinder. Continue to sand the stick until the cylinder is the proper size for the ant you are making.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7536/16087239716_3406e5fc32_o.jpg)
With a very sharp razor blade, cut off two segments of the cylinder. One for the ants head and one for its abdomen.
![](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8635/15925614588_1735b3b474_o.jpg)
Poke a hole through the center of each segment with a piece of wire or a fine needle.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7471/15490724464_96805266a7_o.jpg)
Thread one of the segments onto a piece of tippet. 2X to 4X works well depending on the size of the ant. Then burn one end of the tippet and form a small ball on the end.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7482/15490729314_4ce7d87f72_o.jpg)
Pull the tippet back through the segment with enough pressure to pull the ball into but not through the segment.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7474/16111168701_39cd5f7a51_o.jpg)
Thread the second segment onto the tippet.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7581/15925666498_a87bc0a0a2_o.jpg)
Cut off the excess and burn a second ball onto that end of the tippet.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7573/16112360552_4c362a0f44_o.jpg)
Pull the tippet back through the segment with enough pressure to pull the ball into but not through the segment.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7536/16111183811_3a76391889_o.jpg)
Completed body, ready to paint.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7549/16111189071_ed7854327d_o.jpg)
Apply paint to the segments in the proper color to match the ant you are imitating. In this case black.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7474/15925808060_36948e30b0_o.jpg)
Put a hook in the vise and start some thread on the shank, again in the proper color to match the ant you are imitating.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7535/16113174635_dca46603dc_o.jpg)
Tie the balsa wood ant body you created onto the top of the hook shank.
![](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8591/15927436067_239f0601e0_o.jpg)
Tie in a hackle in the proper color to match the ant you are imitating.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7462/15925782578_b89c4231fc_o.jpg)
Wind the hackle in between the body segments
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7471/15927441277_ab95b9085d_o.jpg)
Tie it off, trim the excess hackle and whip finish.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7571/16112476112_5a3f5df316_o.jpg)
Finished product.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7466/16111301061_37ebfaf35d_o.jpg)
One in red.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7465/15490898164_46c30de9d2_o.jpg)
Hook : 14 - 22 (dry)
Thread : Black, red or brown.
Body : Two pieces of balsa wood joined with monofilament. Painted black, red or brown.
Hackle : Black, red or brown dry fly hackle (sometimes a āVā is cut in the bottom of the hackle to make it float more flush in the surface film.)
I have found that for this fly it is best to start with a 1/8inch square stick of balsa wood.
![](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8639/15493320183_669b8279af_o.jpg)
Grab the stick by one end with one hand and wrap a piece of fine sand paper around the other end and begin to spin the stick against the sand paper and round off the square edges creating a cylinder. Continue to sand the stick until the cylinder is the proper size for the ant you are making.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7536/16087239716_3406e5fc32_o.jpg)
With a very sharp razor blade, cut off two segments of the cylinder. One for the ants head and one for its abdomen.
![](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8635/15925614588_1735b3b474_o.jpg)
Poke a hole through the center of each segment with a piece of wire or a fine needle.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7471/15490724464_96805266a7_o.jpg)
Thread one of the segments onto a piece of tippet. 2X to 4X works well depending on the size of the ant. Then burn one end of the tippet and form a small ball on the end.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7482/15490729314_4ce7d87f72_o.jpg)
Pull the tippet back through the segment with enough pressure to pull the ball into but not through the segment.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7474/16111168701_39cd5f7a51_o.jpg)
Thread the second segment onto the tippet.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7581/15925666498_a87bc0a0a2_o.jpg)
Cut off the excess and burn a second ball onto that end of the tippet.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7573/16112360552_4c362a0f44_o.jpg)
Pull the tippet back through the segment with enough pressure to pull the ball into but not through the segment.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7536/16111183811_3a76391889_o.jpg)
Completed body, ready to paint.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7549/16111189071_ed7854327d_o.jpg)
Apply paint to the segments in the proper color to match the ant you are imitating. In this case black.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7474/15925808060_36948e30b0_o.jpg)
Put a hook in the vise and start some thread on the shank, again in the proper color to match the ant you are imitating.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7535/16113174635_dca46603dc_o.jpg)
Tie the balsa wood ant body you created onto the top of the hook shank.
![](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8591/15927436067_239f0601e0_o.jpg)
Tie in a hackle in the proper color to match the ant you are imitating.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7462/15925782578_b89c4231fc_o.jpg)
Wind the hackle in between the body segments
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7471/15927441277_ab95b9085d_o.jpg)
Tie it off, trim the excess hackle and whip finish.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7571/16112476112_5a3f5df316_o.jpg)
Finished product.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7466/16111301061_37ebfaf35d_o.jpg)
One in red.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7465/15490898164_46c30de9d2_o.jpg)