Chernobyl ant

Materials needed:
Hook:  TMC 5212, sizes #6-14
Thread:  Brown UNI thread, 8/0
Body:  Brown, and black closed cell foam
Legs:  Black or brown rubber legs
Indicator:  A highly visible color of foam.  Red or orange work well

 Place your hook in the vise.

 Start your thread about midway down the hook shank, then wrap back to the hook point.

 Cut a piece of brown foam.  The width should equal the hook gap, and the length should equal about 1 and a half hook shank lengths.

 Cut a piece of black foam the same length and width.

 Tie in your brown foam as shown.  Two wraps to hold the foam down, and then two wraps around just the hook shank to stop the foam from rotating around the hook shank.

Tie your black foam in right on top of the brown foam.

Tie in your legs. You can tie them in long, then cut them to length later.

 Tie legs in on the other side.

 Pull back your foam and legs, and wrap your thread forward.

Fold just the brown foam down, and make 2 wraps of thread over it.

Continue progressing your thread, and folding down the foam to build segments.

 When you reach about 1 hook eye distance from the hook eye, fold the black foam down and tie it in.

 Tie in legs on both sides.

 Tie in a brightly colored piece of foam as an indicator.

Progress your thread forward, and whip finish around the bit of shank just behind the hook eye.

You could fish the Chernobyl ant just like this, but to make it last way longer, I like to add a little zap a gap, or super glue.

Put a small drop of glue between the front and rear pieces of foam, and sandwich them together.

 Put a drop on the indicator, and on the segmented section of the body underneath.

Trim the excess foam off with a pair of scissors, and trim your legs.