If you would have told me before my trip, I would have said you're nuts.
"They're eating ants" The guy with a South African accent said to me as we passed him on our way to the next spot down the lake to throw chronomids.
Huh? Ants? Like a small cinnamon ant or something?
"No, big chernobyl ants"
Now I've fished this lake for at least 10 years, at least 3 days in each trip, so lets say I've sat in my pontoon boat for 30+ days and not once had I heard or read about for that matter that these fish key in on ants. The lakes food chain has always been a smorgasbord of midges, damsels, scuds, dragonflies and the star of the show, callibaetis.
Now this dude is telling me ants. He's either crazy or very smart.
First cast with the ant and the fish sipped it down like it was a mayfly spinner. I got so excited I went all Bill Dance, set too hard and broke the fish off. At that point I was out of the secret sauce but my fishing partner was putting the hammer down.
Ants, big ass nasty leggy black chernobyl ants.
That night at camp we scoured our fly boxes to find reasonable copies and when the time was right the next day, many a fish was surprised to find our bugs bit back.
When you think you have it all figured out on a piece of water, I can assure you, you dont. Be on on the lookout for guys with South African accents and take their tips to heart. Maybe that dude has the missing piece of the puzzle.
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