Michigan Flies

Hatches / mayfly

Black Quill

A

Leptophlebia cupida

Also called Great Mahogany, Borcher's Drake, Early Quill, Leptophlebia.

A large, very dark spring mayfly that emerges midday and early afternoon by crawling out on shore or popping through the surface in slow water, so the hatch is scattered rather than a blanket. It overlaps the Hendrickson and the Upper Manistee lists black quills among its May-June hatches. Trout take it best as a low-floating emerger or a #12 dark parachute; the Borcher's Drake, a Michigan pattern, was tied for this bug and for Isonychia spinners. Nymphs migrate toward slow bank water before emergence, so drift a dark nymph along the edges.

#10–14middayafternoonnymphemergerdunspinnerdark brown to blackish-brown bodydark slate wingdark brown nymph

Brighton Lee · CC0 · iNaturalist · · 2016

Timing by region

  1. Southeast Lower Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    Apr 6 – Jun 1
    Peak
    —
  2. Southwest Lower Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    Apr 10 – Jun 5
    Peak
    —
  3. Northeast Lower Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    Apr 20 – Jun 15
    Peak
    —
  4. Northwest Lower Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    Apr 20 – Jun 15
    Peak
    —
  5. Upper Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    May 11 – Jul 6
    Peak
    —

Flies that match

Borchers Parachute (reference photo)Reference photo
Borchers Parachute
A
Dry fly#10–16Dark turkey-quill body, brown hackle

Grayling's dark all-purpose mayfly, listed by Hawkins in #10 to #16 for Mahogany and Isonychia spinners. It doubles as a Hendrickson and Black Quill dun in spring and a fall Mahogany Dun on the Pere Marquette from mid September through October. Fish it at dusk for Iso spinner falls from June through September.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00
Adams (and Parachute Adams) (reference photo)Reference photo
Adams (and Parachute Adams)
A
Dry fly#10–20Gray (standard)Slim-bodied #10-12 for Gray Drake

Michigan's own fly, born on the Boardman, and still the default searching dry on every river in the state. Hawkins recommends a slim-tied #10 to #12 Adams for Gray Drake spinner falls at dusk on the Pere Marquette and Muskegon, and smaller sizes pass for most gray-winged mayflies from April through October.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00
Black Quill Parachute (reference photo)Reference photo
Black Quill Parachute
A
Dry fly#10–14Dark brown-black body, dark gray wing

Matches the Great Mahogany or Black Quill (Leptophlebia cupida), a #10 to #14 spring mayfly on Michigan charts from late April to mid June, and the Muskegon's 'Early Quills' around May 10. It emerges midday, often crawling out, so a low-floating parachute or emerger works best in the slow edges where the nymphs live.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00