By Doug Keene
![St. Joe Foam Beetle.](https://spokaneflyfishers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/stjoe-foam-beetle.jpg)
One of the best flies to use when others are not working on local rivers of the Northwest is the foam beetle. There are many variations on this look-alike fly, but this basic design is easy to tie, is quite hardy, and fast enough to tie that you can create lots of them in a very short time. I am offering several alternatives to keep them from being boring. Get creative!
Recipe
Hooks: Use Dai-Riki #300 or Daiichi 1310, #12 to #8 or equivalent.
Thread: Black 8/0 or 6/0
Legs: Tarantula Legs (mini) or Flex-Floss, Black
Body: 2 mm black or 1.5 mm glitter-black (Silly Winks) Foam (Hobby Lobby)
Abdomen: Midge Cactus Chenele, red, Dark Brown, or Black
Indicator: 2mm orange or yellow foam
Procedure
- Debarb the hook and mount in vise
- Dress the hook from just behind the eye to just over the hook barb, and apply a thin layer of super-glue to the dressing.
- Wind the thread back to right behind the eye.
- Cut a ¼ inch strip of black foam about 4 inch long
- With foam strip on top of hook, just behind the eye, wrap thread tightly all the way back to the end of the thread base, squeezing foam down against hook..
- Attach Cactus Chenille above hook barb, and wrap thread back half way to the eye. You may want to again apply super glue to top of hook.
- Tie on 2-3, 2-inch legs, in a star format, with all legs horizontal and equal on both sides. Then wrap the thread forward to the eye. You should end up with 4 or 6 legs.
- Wrap the Chenille forward to near the eye and tie off.
- Apply spot of super glue to tie off point on top of body.
- Bring the foam strip forward, using fingers to fold sides down evenly, and tie off very securely with multiple wraps of the thread, just behind the eye.
- Trim off the extra foam 1/8 inch to ¼ inch past the eye, depending on size of hook and trim to make a softly rounded or pointed shape for the head.
- For the indicator, cut a 1/8 inch strip of foam, ½ inch long, and attach to top of black foam, behind the eye, tying with 1/3 in front of thread and 2/3 behind.
- Whip finish.
- Trim legs to about ½ inch long.
Fish as a dry fly near shore or pretty much anywhere fish may be hungry.