I’ve always been fond of ant patterns, having learned early on that trout are terribly fond of the real ones. Ant patterns and Pennsylvania fly fishing go together like peas and carrots, and the list of Keystone State writers and tiers that have influenced the ant imitations we fish is a lengthy one. An early influence for me was Ken Miyata who was a frequent contributor to Fly Fisherman Magazine up to his untimely death in a wading accident on the Big Horn River in 1983. Ken truly lived the trout bum life, and his Ph.D. in Zoology and extensive travel to the best streams in the country gave him both an enviable wealth of first-hand experience and knowledge to support his writing. In 1982 Miyata authored an article titled “Anting the Hatch” in which he described how selectively feeding trout will abandon that selective behavior if an ant becomes available to them. In the years since that article I’ve had the chance to test his theory on the subject. I have tested this more than a few times by fishing an ant pattern during mayfly hatches and spinner falls, purposely using ant pattern colors and sizes that were very different from the insects on the water at the time. Ken was onto something and I can say that his theory was spot on. The next time the Trico hatch is frustrating you, try mixing it up with an ant pattern, you might be surprised with the reaction it gets. It’s an effective change-up pitch in your fly presentation. Pictured this week is my favorite ant pattern, the Red-Headed Parachute Ant. I also tie this style ant in cinnamon, black, red and a carpenter ant version in a range of sizes. Tie up a few and tie them on. I’ve attached a link to an article about Ken Miyata for your enjoyment. Till next week …….. www.ramsayflies.com #regalvise #daiichihooks # flyfishermanmagazine https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2000/07/ken-miyata.html
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