Around the next bend, you find a patch of slow water. It's
crystal clear and home to a brown trout the size of the downed tree
beneath your feet on the near bank. The simple, old school elegance of
this kind of moment calls for an equally simple and old school fly
pattern to do the job.
The
Hexagenia
Adult (Deer Body) with Phosphorescent Wing is a modern take on an old
standard in the world of trout flies. A classic with a spot in fly
boxes across North America, this fly is a fantastic imitation of a
Hexagenia
mayfly in either the cripple or fully hatched adult life stage. It
floats like a dream with its stiff body of folded and lashed deer hair,
and its long tail and stiff hackle wings render its profile highly visible. This classic bug is spiced
up a bit for the modern world with a phosphorescent winging material;
charge it with a flashlight and watch the gentle glow entrance and
entice bank-cruising browns cast after cast!
Specifications:
- A classic fly pattern designed to exploit the floatation properities of hollow deer hair
- The creative use of phosphorescent winging material that can be charged with a flashlight makes this large mayfly imitation wickedly effective just prior to dusk
- Hexagenia imitation in the cripple or adult life stage
- Use as a realistic cripple or adult 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
- When fishing this fly pattern as an adult, use shorter drifts and fly floatant to maintain a high position in the surface film
- 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 the Hexagenia Adult (Deer Body) with Phosphorescent Wing
This
large mayfly cripple is fished as a realistic imitation when matching
the hatch. This fly can also be fished effectively as a newly hatched
adult. 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 and emergers 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. Look for slower
pockets of water and areas that may provide good cover for big fish
venturing into calm territory.
How to Fish the Hexagenia Adult (Deer Body) with Phosphorescent Wing
Fish
this fly in very slow water; backwaters and eddys are prime real estate
for these large mayflies. Generally, the slower the water and the
muddier the bottom, the more packed with Hexagenia
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 and crippled 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. If fishing this fly as a freshly hatched adult, make shorter
drifts and use fly floatant to keep the bug riding as high in the
surface film as possible. 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 Cripple 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
and crippled 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 cripples makes them
quite appealing to trout, and consequently an important hatch on many
rivers and lakes. These crippled 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.
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.”