Believe it or not, I rarely target the Hendrickson hatch or spinner fall.
In the spring, I’m usually off the water by noon due to family commitments. It makes for good nymphing time, but I’ve yet to witness Hendricksons popping.
In a few weeks, thanks to Joe Drake’s initiative, our blog team will be fishing together. I have the hall pass to fish all day. So, I hope to see afternoon Hendrickson activity.
Any patterns you’d recommend?
To get ready, I’ve done some online research. It is a dizzying amount of information! Troutnut.com was particularly helpful.
The Connecticut Yankee has a great photo here. It motivated me to make this size 12 nymph, with some lemon wood-duck feather barbs and a thorax of SLF squirrel with a bit of UV Ice Dub mixed in:
Here is a size 12 nymph with legs, a light-colored mid-band and some split tails.
Here is a size 16 parachute-style emerger on a Klinkhammer hook with a brown Z-Lon shuck. I picked out the thorax a bit to suggest legs.
Here is a size 12 Steve Culton wet fly.
Any feedback would be great.
Quigley Cripple and Betters Haystack. Necessary hendrickson hatch dry flies in my opinion. Sz. 14 and 12 for the first week or so of the hatch, 18 and 16 for the last days.
Got it. Thank you!
I carry a ton of dedicated patterns as you need to cover emergers, duns, and spinners. My go to fly patterns are: Sparkle Duns size 12 with dk hendrickson spectrumized dubbing; size 12 emerger with same dubbing, wood duck tail and snowshoe wing; size 14 red quill parachute and also grey bodied ones; size 12 and 14 rusty spinners. I do carry traditional Catskill ties but don’t use them often.
Don’t leave home without a few Adams parachutes and Hare’s ear parachutes as they can work at times.
Its a fun hatch but be prepared for crowds. Find some fish working between the popular spots and you will do well.
Thank you for such detailed guidance!