Dry FliesSpant
The Spant is a realistic spent flying ant pattern designed for those magical yet unpredictable flying ant falls that can trigger spectacular surface feeding. This pattern features a prominent rusty spinner dubbing gaster (abdomen), widely spread deer hock hair wings for both flotation and realistic silhouette, a brown hackle collar wrapped horizontally to suggest splayed legs and aid flotation, and a black superfine dubbing head. The construction creates the distinctive segmented ant profile with a thin waist between thorax and head.
Summer, Fall
Intermediate
Trout
Overview
This Charlie Craven pattern from Charlie's Fly Box was born from necessity during a flying ant fall on a high mountain lake. Traditional flying ant patterns suffer from poor flotation and visibility - the Spant addresses both issues with its buoyant spread deer hair wings and broad hackle legs. The key to tying this pattern is maintaining a prominent thin waist between the front of the hackle and the head section, which accurately mimics the distinctive ant anatomy. The rear dubbing ball should be a tight, prominent sphere representing the gaster. The wings are tied sparsely to reflect the translucence of natural ant wings. Craven typically wraps a five-turn hackle collar to create surface area for flotation, reducing to three turns on smaller sizes. The pattern can be tied in black and rusty brown (as shown), all black, or all rusty variations depending on local ant populations.
Pattern Characteristics
Materials
Hook: Tiemco 100SP-BL, #12-20
Thread: Veevus 14/0, black
Gaster: Superfine Dubbing, rusty spinner
Wing: Deer Hock Hair, natural
Hackle: Rooster Cape or Saddle, brown
Head: Superfine Dubbing, black
Fishing Tips
Season
Most effective during summer and fall when flying ant falls occur. These events are unpredictable but typically happen during windy conditions when ants are blown from trees onto the water.
Presentation
Cast the Spant six to ten feet in front of cruising fish and let it sit motionless. If the fish doesn't see it, give the fly the slightest twitch - that subtle movement often triggers strikes from educated trout.
When to Use
Select this pattern when encountering rising fish with no visible insects on the water, especially during windy conditions. Flying ant falls often go unnoticed because the tiny insects are hard to see, leading anglers to incorrectly cycle through emerger patterns. Keep ants in mind when fish are rising but nothing else seems to work.
Water Type
Versatile pattern for both moving water and stillwater. Proven on demanding waters like the South Platte, Henry's Fork, and DePuy's Spring Creek. Particularly effective on high mountain lakes where cruising fish eagerly take ants as crimes of opportunity.
Rigging Suggestions
Fish on a 12-foot leader tapering to 5X-6X fluorocarbon tippet. The deer hair wings and hackle provide good flotation but apply a light floatant to the hackle and wings for extended fishing.
Visibility & Floatation
The spread deer hair wings provide better visibility than traditional ant patterns while the hackle collar creates surface area for reliable flotation. Position yourself to track the fly against the background rather than relying on seeing it directly.
