The Black Beetle (Foam Beetle)

Materials required :

• Wide Gape hooks sizes 12- 16

• Black 6/0 tying thread

• Black plastazote (close cell foam)

• Black cock hackles

• Black dubbing (seals fur or substitute
   

Tying  :

Tie in thread behind the eye and wind down the shank to approximately opposite the barb. Cut a slim piece of plastazote (foam) and secure on top of the shank. Make sure that the foam is a little longer than the hook. This foam will form the beetle back and make it float.

Dub the seals fur or other dubbing material up the shank to just behind the eye but remember to leave a little space here to take the foam back and the hackles which are tied in later.

Tie in a cock hackle just behind the eye on the underside of the hook shank to form a beard hackle with the fibres pointing down to the hook point. Trim off the excess. Then tie in another cock hackle on top of the hook with the fibres pointing forward beyond the eye and trim off the waste.

Bring the foam forward on top of the shank and secure behind the eye . There should be some foam sticking out and upwards beyond the eye. Trim the excess foam to form a blunt end.
 

This fly can also be tied as a brown or a green beetle and is very effective from May onwards as beetles large and small get blown onto both lakes and rivers. If fish switch onto falling beetles they can become very preoccupied like they are when they are on caenis and a few beetles in your box will save the day. It is important to have both small and large beetles.

We normally find that the beetles work left static. Rises tend to be aggressive and sometimes the fish just miss altogether as they push the beetle away as they rise quickly.

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