Michigan Flies

Flies / Dry fly

McCoy's All Day Dun (Hex)

A

Ed McCoy, Mangled Fly, Manistee River

A Hex dun named by Hawkins for the giant Michigan mayfly, which emerges after dark once water reaches 68 F, peaking June 21 to July 7 on the Au Sable and Manistee (June 8 to 20 on the Muskegon, two to three weeks later in the U.P.). Fish it from 10 pm on a 6 ft 2X leader over silt banks, casting to the sound of rises.

#4–8Pale yellow with reddish-brown markingsdusknight
What the pattern looks like
Reference photos of the McCoy's All Day Dun (Hex) tied by others, shared by their photographers. Not our flies; our own product photos replace these as they are shot.

Photo © the photographer, 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
Brown troutBrook troutRainbow trout (resident)

Setups

  • Dry fly
How it's tied
A
Ed McCoy's foam-bodied Hex dun, built to be fished morning, noon and night on the Manistee and Au Sable, including bright days when no bugs are showing. Our own write-up of the standard tie, checked against the sources below. Recipe by Mangled Fly / Ed McCoy.

Materials

Hook
Dry-fly hook, size 8 for the Hex (series runs 8-14 for Hex, Brown Drake and Isonychia)
Thread
6/0 or 140 denier, yellow or tan to match the Hex bodyThread color not confirmed by a text source
Body
2 mm closed-cell foam, pale yellow, folded and bound into a prominently segmented extended body with reddish-brown markings
Tail
A few long fibers (moose or Microfibett style) extending from the foam bodyNot confirmed by a text source; verify against the Mangled Fly video
Wing/Post
Upright synthetic wing post over the thoraxMaterial not confirmed by a text source
Hackle
Dry-fly hackle around the post, parachute styleNot confirmed by a text source

Steps

  1. 1.Cut a strip of 2 mm pale-yellow foam a little narrower than the hook gap and long enough to fold into an extended body.
  2. 2.Bind the tail fibers into the fold of the foam off the hook, then tie the foam body onto the rear of the shank in a series of thread bands so the segments stand out clearly.
  3. 3.Continue the segmented foam over the shank to the thorax position, leaving room in front for the wing and hackle.
  4. 4.Post the wing material upright at the front of the body and build a firm thread base around it.
  5. 5.Tie in the hackle against the post, dub or wrap a thorax, and wind the hackle around the post parachute style.
  6. 6.Tie off under the hackle, whip finish, and mark the top of the foam body with reddish-brown bars to match the natural Hex.

From the tier

  • Michigan history: Ed McCoy of Mangled Fly (Manistee River guide) designed the All Day series, released through Montana Fly Company from 2019, as durable foam mayflies with an impressionistic silhouette that fish take even when no bugs are on the water.
  • Motor City Anglers notes it has been his best daytime Hex pattern for years, and it excels during the rare daytime Hex emergence.
  • McCoy suggests pairing the Hex All Day Dun with his Hex spinner and casting to seams; a four-part Mangled Fly video series (filmed 2018 for MFC) shows the full tie and warns that not every detail is spelled out on camera.

All Day Dun - May Fly Patterns - Northern Michigan Trout Fishing No fetched text source lists the full dressing; the steps describe the general segmented-foam parachute construction visible in the Mangled Fly and 1884 Fly Shop videos and should be checked against the video before publishing. Unconfirmed: Thread, tail, wing-post and hackle materials, hook model and the exact foam folding method are unconfirmed; only the 2 mm foam, size 8 Hex, color range and design intent are documented in text. Also checked against Jon Ray, Mangled Fly (2020), Tying Brown Drakes - YouTube Videos - Ed McCoy, Ed McCoy, Mangled Fly (2020), New Fly Release McCoy's All Day Spinner, Motor City Anglers, McCoy's Hex All Day Dun, Fish Tales Fly Shop / Montana Fly Company, MFC Flies McCoy's All Day Dun Dry Fly and 1884 Fly Shop (2023), Ed McCoy - All Day Dun Mayfly Pattern Hex.

Materials to buy
Everything one McCoy's All Day Dun (Hex) takes, each item once: 6 items, plus 1 optional. Quantities are for a single fly. We do not sell components yet; when we do, these will link to them.

Hook and hardware

  • Dry-fly hooks1 per fly

    size 8

    Hook

Feathers and fur

  • Tailing fibers (moose or Microfibetts)1 patch or pack

    Tail

  • Dry-fly saddle hackle1 saddle

    Hackle

Synthetics, flash and legs

  • Closed-cell foam sheet, 2 mm1 sheet

    pale yellow

    Body

  • Synthetic wing-post material1 card

    Wing/Post

Thread and finish

  • Tying thread1 spool

    yellow, 140 denier

    Thread

Other

  • Brown permanent markeroptional1

    reddish brown

    Body

Sources