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Andrew Connell: The Aidan Beetle

Hook Daichii 1550 #14
Thread Uni-thread 6/0 Rust brown
Tail Antron Yarn Clear
Wingcase

 

Brown Darice foamies sheet 2mm (this comes from Riot Craft Shop cut in to 4mm strips)
Body Sprit River pure antron Rust Dubbing
Hackle Hoffman Grade 2 Saddle, Grizzly Orange
Tie it See Below
Click for full size image:.
Click for Full Size Photo of the Aidan Beetle                         
Click for Full Size Photo of the Aidan Beetle           
Click for Full Size Photo of the Aidan Beetle           

 

 

 

 

 

Tying Instructions

1/ Start tread slightly back from the eye (2mm) and run it to the back (just above the barb)

2/ Tie in antron yarn (This should be split in to three and us only one) with four turns of silk moving forwards, trim tail one hook shank long (7-8mm long)

3/ Now trim the foam strip in to a 90' point and taper off slightly tie in running back (make sure that when you pull the foam forward that the thread dose not show)

4/ Dub starting hard up against the foam and run forward to the end of your thread base

5/ Pull the foam over the dubbing firmly now bind down with just firm wraps three times.

6/ Put a drop of head cement on the top where the thread is and tie in your hackle straight away, three turns of grade 2 do the job tie off the hackle and run the thread under the foam above the eye of the hook half hitch three or four times, or whip finish now cement the thread and a little in to the hackle base.

Note: Go up a little in tippet size (say 6lb double strength) to stop line twist This is with out a doubt the best fly in my box, some use a red tag this fly catch's me more fish than a red tag and is far more durable sure the foam shows some teeth marks but it keeps looking good 15-20 fish. I made this fly trying to improve my percentages on the king Parrot Creek it fairly easy to see under the shade of the trees but some times you will have trouble seeing it in certain light conditions. It is a good polarising fly and also has been the down fall of even the fussy feeders.

One lazy afternoon my friend Ross Garwood and I after a couple of bottles of wine headed out on to the Ovens river, we spotted a consistently feeding brown in a current seam Ross had first option so he started with I think a cocky, 2-3 refusals later he changed fly, mean while I found a nice log and sat down for a lesson, 6 flies later he is changing his tippet and putting on a #20-#22 dun looking thing still no luck, dejected he offered me a cast with that "bloody beetle " ya got on (I think the fish was getting the better of him) One cast later one small brown undone by the Aidan Beetle. I still buckle over laughing when we talk about it, by the way we decided that the bottle of pinot back at the cabin needed attention and called it quits.

Andrew Connell