Michigan Flies

Flies / Nymph

Hex Nymph (Wiggler)

A

Current Works' number one Michigan steelhead fly, because most steelhead rivers (Muskegon, Manistee, Pere Marquette, Au Sable, St. Marys) hold silt-burrowing Hexagenia and trout may see up to 2,000 nymphs a day outside the hatch. Fish #6 to #8 under an indicator or chuck-and-duck year-round for steelhead, in the two weeks before the June hatch for trout, and in July for St. Marys Atlantic salmon.

#4–10Natural tan-yellowBear's Hex NymphSchultzy's Rabbit HexumTed's Edible Hex
What the pattern looks like
Reference photos of the Hex Nymph (Wiggler) tied by others, shared by their photographers. Not our flies; our own product photos replace these as they are shot.

Photo © Quinn, used with permission

Season
Months this pattern is in play across Michigan, derived from what it imitates.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Imitates

The naturals

Fish it for
SteelheadBrown troutRainbow trout (resident)Brook troutAtlantic salmon

Setups

  • Indicator nymphing
  • Chuck and duck
  • Euro / tight-line nymphing
How it's tied
A
Hex Nymph for Trout and Steelhead. A big, soft, swimming imitation of the burrowing Hexagenia nymph, fished on the bottom of silt-bedded Michigan rivers from spring steelhead season through the June hex hatch. Our own write-up of the standard tie, checked against the sources below. Recipe by Ted Kraimer, Current Works Guide Service (2019).

Materials

Hook
Daiichi 1720 3XL nymph, sizes 4-10Kraimer ties a #6; he prefers the 1720 over a TMC 200R for steelhead so the hook does not open. Tie #10 for young-of-year nymphs.
Thread
Uni 6/0, tan
Weightoptional
Lead or lead-free wire, .025Wrapped on the front third of the shank.
Tail
Gray marabou from a pheasant or grouse skinTied a little long, about one shank length, for extra swimming motion.
Back
Mottled turkey tail slip, coated with Flex Seal or flexible cementOne long slip does double duty: it is laid over the abdomen, then folded forward again as the wingcase.
Gills
Aftershaft (filoplume) feather from pheasant or grouseLaid flat over the abdomen so the fluffy fibres trail along each side.
Rib
Small gold wireWound through the gills without trapping them.
Abdomen
Cream rabbit dubbingSlightly tapered.
Thorax
Cream rabbit dubbingShort and noticeably fatter than the abdomen.
Wingcase
Same turkey tail slip as the back, folded forward
Legs
Grizzly hen saddle featherTwo turns through the thorax.
Eyes
Small black mono eyes

Steps

  1. 1.Start the thread behind the eye and lay a base back to a point above the barb. If you want weight, wrap .025 wire over the front third of the shank now.
  2. 2.Tie in a gray marabou tail above the barb, tips reaching back about one shank length.
  3. 3.Cut a narrow slip of treated turkey tail and tie it in at the tail with the coated side up, then tie in the gold wire at the same point.
  4. 4.Dub a lightly tapered abdomen forward, stopping about one hook gap short of the eye.
  5. 5.Lay the aftershaft feather over the top of the abdomen, bind it down at the front and trim the stem.
  6. 6.Pull the turkey slip forward over the aftershaft, tie it down at the front of the abdomen but do not cut it; it will become the wingcase.
  7. 7.Counter-wind the wire rib forward through the abdomen, wiggling it between the gill fibres so none are trapped. Tie off and trim.
  8. 8.Fold the turkey slip back over itself toward the tail and lock it with a few wraps so it points rearward.
  9. 9.Dub a short, fat thorax, then figure-eight a pair of small mono eyes just behind the hook eye.
  10. 10.Tie in the grizzly hen feather by its tip at the back of the thorax, dub up to (not over) the eyes, take about two turns of hackle through the thorax, and tie off.
  11. 11.Add a pinch of dubbing around the eyes to hide the thread, then pull the turkey slip forward over the thorax, splitting the hackle evenly to each side. Tie off behind the eye, trim, whip finish and cement.

From the tier

  • Kraimer says the marabou, aftershaft and hen hackle are chosen for movement so the fly looks like a swimming nymph; he ties the tail a touch longer than the natural for that reason.
  • Bear Andrews' Bear's Hex (Umpqua) is a similar dubbing-and-hackle-leg tie in #6 with a reputation on the lower Au Sable, Pere Marquette and Manistee; Schultzy's Rabbit Hexum (Rainy's, #8, natural) and Ted's Edible or Swimming Hex use a rabbit-strip abdomen for an even wigglier body, tied on a curved hook with the eyes on top so the point rides up.
  • Steelhead fish it dead-drift under an indicator; for trout before and during the hatch, swim it slowly with short strips or bumps and squeeze water into the rabbit before the first cast.

Hex Nymph for Trout and Steelhead - Current Works Guide Service Steps summarize Ted Kraimer's Current Works hex nymph tutorial in our own words; the rabbit-strip variant notes come from his Swimming Hex page and Nomad Anglers' Wiggle Hex, and the Bear's Hex and Rabbit Hexum notes come from catalogue pages that do not publish recipes. Unconfirmed: No published recipe was found for Schultzy's Rabbit Hexum or a fly called exactly 'Ted's Edible Hex'; we describe them from the catalogue photos and Kraimer's Swimming Hex, which uses the same rabbit-strip construction. Also checked against Ted Kraimer (first published in Fly Tyer, Spring 2010), How to tie Ted's Swimming Hex Nymph Fly Pattern - Current Works, Umpqua Feather Merchants (Jeff 'Bear' Andrews, signature tyer), Bear's Hex - Freshwater Nymph - Umpqua Feather Merchants, Nomad Anglers (2022), Wiggle Hex Nymph Tying Tutorial | Nomad Anglers and Rainy's Flies, Schultzy's Rabbit Hexum - Natural - rainysflies.

Materials to buy
Everything one Hex Nymph (Wiggler) takes, each item once: 8 items, plus 2 optional. Quantities are for a single fly. We do not sell components yet; when we do, these will link to them.

Hook and hardware

  • Nymph hook, 3XL1

    size 4-10 · Daiichi 1720

    Hook

  • Mono eyes1 pair

    small black

    Eyes

Feathers and fur

  • Pheasant or grouse skin (gray marabou and aftershaft)1 skin or a small patch

    natural gray

    TailGills

  • Mottled turkey tail1 feather

    oak or cinnamon mottled

    BackWingcase

    Coat with Flex Seal or flexible cement before cutting slips.

  • Rabbit dubbinga pinch

    cream

    AbdomenThorax

  • Hen saddle1 feather

    grizzly

    Legs

Thread and finish

  • Tying thread1 spool

    6/0 tan · Uni

    Thread

  • Flexible cement or Flex Sealoptional1

    BackWingcase

Other

  • Lead-free wireoptionalabout 6 in

    .025

    Weight

  • Gold wireabout 6 in

    small

    Rib

Sources