Hendrickson

intermediatedry flymayflyhendricksonephemerella subvariacatskillspringtroutclassic

Description

The Hendrickson is a Catskill dry fly for the male dun of Ephemerella subvaria, one of the first important mayflies of spring in eastern trout water. Roy Steenrod tied it around 1916 on the Beaverkill and named it for A.E. Hendrickson.

This dressing follows the Art Flick Catskill version: upright divided wood duck wings, medium dun tail and hackle, and a pinkish-tan dubbed body. The matching female pattern is usually dressed as the Red Quill or Light Hendrickson.

Materials

Tying Instructions

1.
Mount a size 12 or 14 standard dry fly hook in the vise and pinch the barb.
2.
Start the cream thread at mid-shank and lay a smooth thread base from there forward to one eye-length behind the eye.
3.
Select a wood duck flank feather, even the tips, and measure the wing to one shank length.
4.
Tie the wood duck in as a single clump on top of the hook at the one-third point behind the eye, butts pointing back, tips forward over the eye.
5.
Lift the clump upright, take several thread wraps tight against its front base to post it, then divide it into two equal bunches and figure-eight to set the wings upright and divided.
6.
Wrap the thread back to the bend and tie in a small bunch of medium dun hackle fibers for the tail, length equal to the hook shank.
7.
Dub a thin, tapered body of Hendrickson pink dubbing from the bend forward, stopping just behind the wings.
8.
Select two medium dun dry fly hackles, strip the bases, and tie them in by the stems just behind the wings, shiny side forward.
9.
Wrap the first hackle two to three turns behind the wing, then two to three turns in front, and tie off; repeat with the second hackle, weaving through the first.
10.
Trim the hackle tips and stems, build a small tapered head with the thread, whip finish, and apply a drop of head cement.