Your Fishing Field Guide The Foam Beetle by Carl Haensel photos by the author The Foam Beetle has ing to bluegills, let the fly many things going for it. sit on the water’s surface Closed-cell foam lets it while the ripples dissifloat continuously. You pate. The sunfish will don’t need flotant—ever. then swim up to investiIt stands up to a lot of gate if they are interabuse from fish. Even afested. If you get no acter you bring a dozen trout tion in a minute or so, or bluegills to hand, it still make another cast. Anis a usable fly. It appeals other option is to give to many different fish, or the fly very small at least they don’t seem to twitches, which can get mind eating it. We’ve the fish’s attention. Foam Beetle caught trout, sunfish, bass, Make sure to crimp and even a catfish on this the barb on this fly. dry fly! These attributes make it a go-to dry fly through- Bluegills may swallow the fly, and a barbless hook makes out the terrestrial season. them much easier to release. This fly in sizes 12 or 14 is a When fishing the beetle, use a dead-drift approach for great pattern for new or first-time fly-fishers. trout. Target areas that have overhanging brush, limbs or The Foam Beetle is very simple to tie. It uses 2 mm grass. As with many terrestrials, fish may be attracted to black closed-cell foam, peacock herl, and a bright yarn the “plop” that the fly makes when it hits the water. If all tag for visibility. Do not use 1/8-inch foam for this fly goes as planned, they will then swim up to investigate and because it’s too thick. Tie this fly on hooks from size 12 eat it. On a small stream, you may actually need to cast through size 18. The fly pictured is a size 16, which works closer to the fish to let them see the presentation quickly. well for trout and sunfish. Anglers tying this fly on larger Regardless of the stream size, try not to “line” the fish— hooks may wish to add some dark legs to accentuate its don’t let any part of your fly line or leader fall on top of buggy appearance. the fish. Try to place the fly so that it’s the first thing the fish sees. If you are targeting a fish that you can see, make your casts count. A well-placed cast may bring a solid strike immediately. If a visible fish doesn’t eat the fly in the first three casts, move on to another fish or change flies. You can also use this fly as a trailer behind another larger terrestrial. Rig it 18 to 24 inches behind a grasshopper, katydid, or similar pattern. Make sure the tippet tied to your trailing fly is lighter than the tippet tied to your first fly. If you’re fishing still water, keep in mind that this fly is small. It fishes best for bluegills—if you’re going to target This spr ingtime brow n trout from Falling Spring Branch in Franklin bass, tie it on a larger hook. When cast- County shows that even large brown trout can take a dry fly. 26 Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Angler Angler & & Boater Boater •• May-June May-June 2006 2006 www.fish.state.pa.us www.fish.state.pa.us