Hendrickson Emerger an early spring staple
The Hendrickson mayfly comes off the water in the early spring. From April through May, the female, a dark, steely gray mayfly, comes off the water sporadically throughout the day. The male variant leans towards an oxide-red-gray color; both, in my neck of the woods, are the mid-size compacts of the mayfly world. Ephemerella Subvaria is one of the long-awaited mayfly hatches of the season in most parts of the eastern US. I personally look forward to it all winter long. Because the spring brings swifter water flows and often discoloration, I tie this fly a size larger than most of my adult and emerger mayfly patterns that I use in mid-summer. The same holds true for my March Brown patterns. Typically, a more bushy fly that can float like a cork in a faster current is an early spring staple for my first cold days of fishing in spring creeks. In general, the trout are a little less discriminating when the hatch is on in the early season. As the spring leans into summer, my fly patterns become exponentially sparser.
The emerger shown in this entry is tied on the venerable Hanak 300 BL in sizes #14 and #16. This particular hook is somewhat robust, using a “medium” wire, but Hanak hooks generally lean toward heavy-gauge wire, so care has to be taken when dressing these hooks to achieve proper floatation. I combine Kapok fibers with beaver belly, squirrel hair, and rabbit's foot for a buoyant stew of natural fibers. Using a dubbing loop and winding a thorax prior to folding over the CDC gives me a robust life jacket on the business end of the fly. Once folded over the thorax, the CDC loop wing traps a generous amount of air just above the surface film. This emergent pattern is a real confidence booster in swifter water and also dries quite easily with a few false casts.
~Early Spring Hendrickson Emerger~
Hook: Hanak 300 BL sizes 14 & 16
Thread: UTC Ultra 70 Black
Body: Peacock quill natural, coated with Sally Hansen clear
Thorax Dubbing: Kapok, squirrel, beaver belly, rabbit's foot
all natural shades, tie in using a dubbing loop
Wing: CDC feathers x2 Dark Dun
Thanks for letting me share!
Clint Bova www.cjbovarods.com
