Foam Beetle

One of the most iconic PA terrestrial patterns is the Crowe Beetle, developed and popularized by the late John Crowe of Johnstown, PA. The Crowe Beetle is one of the first dry flies that I learned how to tie, and many trout at Fisherman's Paradise suffered a sore jaw due to John Crowe's fly on the end of my tippet. I have also taken fish on Crowe Beetles from Connecticut to Idaho.  It is a great fly.Like all folded deer hair flies, however, the Crowe Beetle lacks greatly in durability. One or two fish often leave the fly in tatters. The foam pattern presented here is much more practical, and even after a dozen fish, it is often in good shape.  Even though I always have a few Crowe Beetles in my terrestrial box, there are dozens of foam beetles neatly ranked beside them.

Pattern

Hook: Dai-ichi #1180, #12-16
Thread: Danville's 6/0 Black
Back: Strip of 1/8" thick black foam, cut as wide as the hook gap, bound along the shank, and folded forward
Legs: Black hackle palmered along the shank and trimmed top and bottom
Head: Trimmed butt of black foam
Indicator (optional): Narrow strip of yellow foam, tied in at end of back, and trimmed short