Award-winning fly tyer and Michigan
native, Jeff “Bear” Andrews, was one of the first Midwestern
steelheaders to recognize the voracity with which steelhead chomped
those giants of the mayfly species,
Hexagenia.
Bear’s
Saddleback
Hexagenia Emerger is a tremendously useful fly pattern when
those really large yellow bugs emerge from their silty homes and coat
the surface of every slow patch of water in sight! This pattern is
ragged and heavy on marabou feathers, making it an incredible target
bursting with movement and animation. The real kicker is the
“saddleback” – Bear chose a heavily contrasted saltwater saddle feather
for the punchy backbone of this massive emerger. This bug is wickedly
effective in slow eddys and lakes – steelhead, beware the Bear!
Specifications:
- This fly pattern was developed Michigan native and hardcore steelheader, Jeff “Bear” Andrews
- Creative use of dyed saltwater saddle hackle as a “backbone” to this large yellow mayfly imitation
- Hexagenia imitation in the mature emerger life stage
- Use as a realistic emerger imitation when matching the hatch
- Swim and drift the fly through slow water; lakes, backwater, and eddys are the most productive water types for this fly
- Best results are obtained just prior to or at dusk when Hexagenia are most actively hatching to adults
- Hexagenia can be an important hatch because of their sheer size; strikes are often aggressive
- SIZE 6
When and Where to Fish Bear’s Saddleback Hexagenia Emerger
This
large mayfly emerger is fished as a realistic imitation when matching
the hatch. Fish this fly in slow backwaters and eddys just before dusk
or a bit earlier on cloudy days – this is the time when Hexagenia
nymphs leave the quiet protection of their burrows to hatch into adult
duns. When fishing the Hexagenia hatch, it’s important to note that
these emergers “swim” from the muddy river bottom to hatch in the
water’s surface film, so try this pattern out just prior to or during
the hatch of adult duns.
How to Fish Bear’s Saddleback Hexagenia Emerger
Fish
this fly in very slow water; backwaters and eddys are prime real estate
for these large emergers. Generally, the slower the water and the
muddier the bottom, the more packed with Hexagenia nymphs the
environment will be, making lakes environments classic “Hex water.”
Fish the water just above these prime burrowing environments as hex
emergers will not travel very far from their burrows to hatch. When
fishing this fly pattern in a lake or river environment, don’t be
afraid to “swim” the fly during the presentation by gently moving the
rod tip up and down or feeding line back and forward through the guides
with your stripping hand. Emerging Hexagenia will often spend a
considerable amount of time sitting on the surface film during the
hatch – moving your rod tip up and down in short, quick strokes can
simulate the twitchy activity of an emergent insect quite well. When
Hexagenia make themselves available during their emergence to adult
duns, trout prey on them hungrily and voraciously, so don’t be
surprised when you feel an aggressive take – set the hook!
Hexagenia
Hexagenia,
brown to light yellow in color, are giant mayflies that occur in North
American trout water from the Midwest to the Northeast. In the West,
these large insects are only locally distributed through in thin
populations in the Pacific states of California, Oregon, and
Washington. During the larval stage, Hexagenia create shelter by
digging burrows in soft, muddy substrate in slow moving water of rivers
and lakes. Hexagenia follows the life stages of a typical mayfly life
cycle and hatches in the Western United States from spring (May) to
late summer (August). Hexagenia in the eastern states are often
referred to as the “Great Leadwinged Drake” and are most active in the
Midwestern to the Northeastern United States from June to September.
Western species of Hexagenia are often called the “Big Yellow May.”
Hexagenia Emerger Life Stage
During
its emerger life stage, these insects leave the safety of their muddy
burrows and begin their relatively slow hatch to winged adult duns. In
river systems, these giant nymphs call low energy backwaters and eddys
home and as emergers, they don’t venture too far away from their larval
environments. “Hex” nymphs require the muddy substrate of these
environments to create their protective burrows, so look for emergent
insects in these areas. Their swimming ability is relatively strong and
Hexagenia expose themselves by making short but adventurous trips away
from safety just before emergence and subsequent hatching. The large
size of Hexagenia emergers makes them quite appealing to trout, and
consequently an important hatch on many rivers and lakes. These
emergers are available to trout prior to and during hatch periods from
spring through late summer and are most active in the evenings and on
overcast afternoons.
About the Tyer: Jeff “Bear” Andrews
Experience
goes a long way, and at a whopping 38 years of fly tying (and
counting), Jeff “Bear” Andrews is a prime example of the theory in
motion. A proud native of Michigan, Bear is the second Midwestern fly
tyer in history to have won the prestigious “Buz” Buszek Memorial Fly
Tying Award from the Federation of Fly Fishers. He has operated his own
fly shop, given literally thousands on thousands of fly tying lessons,
fished heavily throughout the world, set IGFA world records, produced
instructional videos, edited and written magazine articles, and has
been a production fly tyer, producing and astonishing 24,000 flies in
one year. Andrews’ patterns are available through Umpqua Feather
Merchants and many of his hand-tied flies are aggressively sought after
as valued and important collector pieces.
Leland on Umpqua
In
1972 a man named Dennis Black and his fly tying skills found themselves
in high demand. Mr. Black, then a professional production fly tyer, was
famous in the industry for his unsurpassed skill and speed with
whipping up tremendously beautiful and precisely constructed flies. It
wasn’t long until this young fly tying superstar realized that he ought
to take his consistent approach to quality to the next level. Shortly
after this realization, a small army of fly tyers had banded together
to support Mr. Black’s vision. With the likes of Dave Whitlock, Jack
Dennis, and Andy Puyans, Mr. Black was officially in business.
Dennis
Black’s new company Umpqua Feather Merchants quickly extended its reach
and fly production capabilities with expansion into India, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand, where the world’s first and full blown “fly tying
factories” were built. Since those early days, only the highest
standard of excellence has marked Umpqua and this commitment to quality
and efficiency continues to spur the company forward. Dennis Black’s
innovative vision for “fly production” has truly revolutionized how the
fly industry operates and has ultimately made the majority of
production flies better. From the first “royalty system” for rewarding
the most creative professional fly tyers to streamlining production
systems and offering a range of other products, Umpqua Feather
Merchants just seems to “do it all.”
Today, Umpqua Feather
Merchants is without a doubt the world’s best and most prolific
supplier of hand tied fly fishing flies as well as fly tying hooks and
materials, and they recently got better! Umpqua’s brand new, state of
the art headquarters in Louisville, Colorado marks another paradigm
shift in the way fly tying business is done. From its vast warehouse to
its specially designed inventory management and tracking system, Umpqua
is poised to continue its energetic trajectory and lead the way for the
next generation of flies and fly tyers.
Umpqua on Umpqua
"As
you may or may not know, we're the largest producer of quality
hand-tied flies in the world. We also make available through your local
fly shop a wide array of the finest fly-tying hackle and Tiemco hooks.
At
Umpqua we offer everything the angler needs to a have a first class
fishing experience. (Everything that is, but the water and the fish.)"
Umpqua on Dennis Black and the “Obvious Quest”
“The
idea first took shape in the hands of our founder, Dennis Black, back
in 1972. As a fast and facile professional fly tyer, Dennis was known
for his skill and speed at producing hundreds of dozens of flies each
year for the larger mail order houses. But he was also quick to realize
how fast the demand for excellent flies would outstrip the abilities of
cottage industry types like him.
The Obvious Quest: To create
excellent flies in sufficient supply – without sinking his standards.
In response, Dennis developed (with characteristic care) a methodical
plan: First, he enlisted the tying expertise of the likes of Dave
Whitlock, Jack Dennis, Andy Puyans and others, to help him set the
standard of excellence for Umpqua flies.
Next, Dennis
established the first of what would eventually be five separate
fly-tying “factories,” first in India, then in Sri Lanka, and finally
in Thailand. The primary focus at each of these factories was on
producing the very best fishing flies possible, constructed of the very
best materials available. From the beginning, the quantity of flies
produced was secondary to the quality and excellence of each fly
pattern. These high standards were assured by the personal involvement
of the fly designers themselves, and by the ever-increasing skill,
imagination and creativity of the Umpqua production fly tiers. Today,
you will find no flies more skillfully tied than those available from
Umpqua Feather Merchants.
Finally, Dennis created a system of
royalty payments, to reward professional tyers like Whitlock, Lefty
Kreh, Randall Kaufman, Larry Dahlberg, and Bob Popovics for uniquely
good patterns.
The Result: Today, Umpqua produces umpteen
thousand dozen flies, from micro-scopic midge imitations to the huge
patterns favored by marlin and sailfish. And the "Umpquality" – you’ll
see for yourself.”