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Sunken Beetle Fly Step-by-Step:
After the last month or two of posts, it’s safe to say my terrestrial box is filling out nicely. Still, with my RMNP trip less than five weeks away, there are a few gaps that remain to be filled. Hoppers are well stocked after our recent Charlie Boy & Fat Albert tutorials. Ants as well, between last week’s Sunken Ant and the remaining parachute variety tied for the Smokys last fall. Beetles, however, remain largely underrepresented.
Given, a handful of Foam Beetles remain used from last December’s post. However, that hardly seems sufficient for a group of insects as prolific as the Coleopetra. With that in mind, I’ll be dedicating the next few posts to additional beetle patterns in hopes of finally filling out my terrestrial box. Up first, the Sunken Beetle.
| Materials: | ||
|---|---|---|
 Scud Hook (Size 12-16) |  12/0 (Black) |  Peacock Herl |
 Pheasant Tail fibers |  Saddle Hackle (Brown) |  UV Resin |
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Sunken Beetle Fly Step-by-Step Tying Instructions:
(Mobile Viewers: Click images to enlarge)
Tips and Tricks
- Go Deep – As with last week’s Sunk Ant, consider adding a tungsten bead when faced with deep water or faster currents.
- Careful trimming the PT – Take care to leave enough Pheasant Tail extending in front of your thread wraps when trimming. If you trim too close, the wingcase may only last a fish or two. Even with the UV Resin.
- It Will Float! – To this point, I’ve sold this pattern as a “Sunken” or Drowned Beetle. And admittedly, that is its intent. It is, however, slightly buoyant and will often catch in the surface film for a few moments before descending. With that in mind, consider adding a dab of floatant to the hackle if you’d like to try and fish this pattern as a dry.
Proof of Concept
As with last week’s pattern, this fly is reserved for my upcoming visit to RMNP national park. With any luck, some high elevation trout will assist with proof of concept. Until then, however, this section shall simply serve as a place holder.
Of course, should any of you tie up a few and start catching fish in the interim, feel free to send along some pics. I’ll be happy to share them as part of this post.
Tight Lines!
-Chris
Nice beetle!