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EZ's Hexagenia Nymph |
HOOK:
THREAD:
TAIL:
RIB:
GILLS:
BODY:
EYES:
COLLAR:
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Daiichi 1770 #8
Light Green Monocord 3/0
Pheasant Tail Feather
Small Brass Wire
Small Aftershaft Feather
Pale Yellow Dubbing
Black 2.5 mm Strung Eyes
Brown/Beige Soft Hackle
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Hexagenia limbata is Michigan’s giant burrowing mayfly. Its massive emergence in early June triggers a spree of late-night dry fly fishing known to all as the Hex Hatch. The Hex nymph, however, is considered a must-have fly for winter and spring steelhead. Fish it dead-drifted near the bottom and wiggled to the surface on the swing.
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Step By Step:
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What ya' need.
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Start with a thread base. Leave thread about 1/4 down the rear bend of the hook.
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Tie about 6 pheasant tail feathers in on the back bend of the hook.
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Tie in a piece of small diameter brass or copper colored wire.
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Select a small, but long, after-shaft feather. These can be found behind every larger feather.
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Strip away this feather being careful not to rip it as they are very delicate.
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Tie in the after-shaft feather from the tip.
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Using pale yellow dubbing, twist to form a "rope".
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Form a body, leaving a little room behind the eye. Wrap the thread back to the lowest point on the hook.
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Fold the after-shaft forward over the hook.
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Clip off excess feather and secure with a couple more thread wraps.
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Wrap wire around body to secure feather on top. Use a bodkin or needle to manipulate feathers around so you don't tie them down, just try and secure the feather stem.
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Top view of wire wraps
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Secure entire feather, remove excess wire
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The pheasant tail feathers will cover the back, but don't pull them over just yet.
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Place the eyes, just behind the eye of the hook. Leave them strung together to make it easier to work with.
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Figure "8" wrap the eyes to secure
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Wrap enough times to secure the eyes so they don't easily move.
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Clip off extra eyes. Add a little more dubbing between the eyes and behind. Run thread back to tie in point of the "gills".
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Fold pheasant tail feather forward over eyes, secure with a couple thread wraps
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Fold feathers back towards rear to get them out of the way. Run thread up just behind the eyes.
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Tie in a soft hackle by the tip.
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Wrap the hackle around about 3 times, secure and cut off excess. Don't worry if it looks like this.
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Gather hackle between fingers and gently pull down and back. You can trim off any ones that just won't cooperate.
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Secure with a couple thread wraps. Run thread in front of eyes, just behind the eye of the hook.
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Fold remaining Pheasant feathers forward over the eye of the hook, place a couple loose wraps to secure.
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Trim off excess feathers, a couple more thread wraps to secure. Half hitch or whip finish, cement if desired.
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Additional Tips/Photos:
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- Top View -
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- Side View -
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- Bottom View -
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Tied By: Eric Zadorecky.
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