It’s that time of year when the most important terrestrial is swarming, and no trout fisherman should go without a reliable ant pattern in their box! This little semi-realistic flying ant is a quick and easy tie that floats all day long, making it a must-have for the terrestrial season.

In this fly tying tutorial for The Feather Bender, I will walk through exactly how to tie the Deer Hair Ant. Because of the hollow deer belly hair used in the head, abdomen, and legs, this fly sits perfectly in the surface film and refuses to sink.

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Watch the Video Tutorial

Watch the step-by-step video tutorial below, and follow along with the detailed instructions.

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Material List: What You Need

To tie the Deer Hair Ant, you will need the following materials:

• Hook: Mustad Heritage R43 (Size #12-16) – A classic long dry fly hook.
• Thread: Sheer 14/0 Black
• Body: Super Fine Dubbing (Black) and Black Dyed Deer Belly Hair
• Wings: Dun Cock Hackle Tips (Indian dun hackle works great)
• Head: Black Dyed Deer Belly Hair
• Legs: Black Dyed Deer Belly Hair

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Step-by-Step Tying Instructions

Step 1: Laying the Thread Foundation

Start by securing your Mustad Heritage R43 hook in the vise. Attach your black 14/0 Sheer thread just behind the hook eye and wrap a foundation all the way back to the bend of the hook. Pro Tip: Spin your tying thread clockwise to cord it up and give it a round profile. Build a tiny thread “ridge” at the tie-in point—this helps grip the slippery deer hair securely.

Step 2: Tying in the Deer Hair for the Abdomen

Cut a small bunch of black-dyed deer belly hair. It heavily helps to use long deer hair as it makes handling much easier! Stack it to align the tips, then trim off the butt ends. Measure the hair for the length of the rear body part. Tie the bundle down securely, keeping the hair positioned squarely on top of the hook shank, and wrap down just a wee bit into the hook bend.

Step 3: Dubbing the Rear Body

Take a small pinch of black Super Fine dubbing. Apply a very thin, fine wisp to your thread first and make a couple of turns to anchor it. Then, spin the rest of your dubbing onto the thread and wrap forward to build a nice, tight, tapered rear body section over your thread wraps.

Step 4: Forming the Ant’s Abdomen

Gather the deer hair extending off the back and fold it forward over the dubbed body. Try to keep the hairs parallel. Secure the folded hair with a couple of tight thread wraps. Next, spin your thread anti-clockwise to flatten it. Lift the forward-facing hair, advance your thread forward to the midsection, bring the hair back down, and secure it again to segment the ant’s body.

Step 5: Adding the Wings

Prepare two stripped Indian dun hackle tips for the wings. Lay the first hackle tip flat over the back to gauge the correct length, and tack it down with a couple of wraps. Repeat with the second hackle tip, ensuring they are a similar length. Once positioned perfectly, secure them tightly and trim away the excess stems.

Step 6: Forming the Head and Legs

Flatten your thread again and wrap down the cut ends of the wings. Advance your thread right up tight behind the hook eye. Gather all the remaining forward-pointing deer hair and pull it snugly forward to fashion the head. Tie it down firmly. Take a plastic tube (like a half-hitch tool) to push the hair backward evenly. Wrap your thread back into the midsection.

Step 7: Trimming the Legs

Now it’s time to give our ant its legs. Take your scissors and carefully trim the deer hair away from the top and the bottom of the fly, close to the body. Leave the hair extending out on the sides. You don’t need exactly three legs on each side—trout can’t count! Leaving a few extra adds durability in case a few break off after catching fish. Gather the side hairs and trim them to the appropriate leg length.

Step 8: Finishing the Fly

Pull everything back and whip finish your thread in the midsection. Remove the tying thread. To ensure the fly lasts through dozens of aggressive trout strikes, add a tiny drop of head cement or varnish directly to the thread wraps. Finally, use your fingers to gently bend and manipulate the legs into a realistic posture.

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That is the finished Deer Hair Ant! If you enjoyed this tying tutorial, please consider subscribing to the channel, liking the video, and sharing it with your fellow anglers. Tight lines, and thanks for reading!