Michigan Flies

Hatches / mayfly

Hendrickson

A

Ephemerella subvaria

Also called Dark Hendrickson, Light Hendrickson, Red Quill.

The first of the Au Sable's Big Five, starting the last week of April and peaking the first two weeks of May on the northern rivers. Duns emerge mid-afternoon (roughly 2-5 pm on the Au Sable) for one to two hours, and spinners return to the riffles late afternoon to dusk, often compressed into a half hour; cool evenings push the spinner fall to the next morning. Fish a Pheasant Tail or dark-wingcase nymph before the hatch, then an emerger or Regan's Hendrickson Parachute (#14) during it, and a rusty spinner at dusk. The male dun is the darker Red Quill, tied a size smaller.

#12–14middayafternoondusknymphemergerdunspinnerreddish-brown body (male, Red Quill)creamy tan to pinkish body (female, Light Hendrickson)slate gray wingrusty brown spinner

© Jerry Schoen · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist · Williamstown, Massachusetts · 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 – May 6
    Peak
    Apr 17 – Apr 30
  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 – May 10
    Peak
    Apr 21 – May 4
  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 – May 20
    Peak
    May 1 – May 14
  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 – May 20
    Peak
    May 1 – May 14
  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 – Jun 10
    Peak
    May 22 – Jun 4
  6. Two Hearted Riverlocal chart
    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 4 – Jun 3
    Peak
    May 14 – May 21

Flies that match

Regan's Hendrickson Parachute (reference photo)Reference photo
Regan's Hendrickson Parachute
A
Dry fly#12–14Dark Hendrickson (reddish brown)Light Hendrickson (creamy tan)

The Au Sable guide standard for the first of the Big Five hatches, fished from the last week of April into mid May when water holds 50 to 55 F. Duns come off mid-afternoon (2 to 5 pm on the Au Sable) for one to two hours; drift it drag-free over riffles and tailouts. Carry both the dark male and lighter female shades in #12 and #14.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00
Regan's Hendrickson Spinner (reference photo)Reference photo
Regan's Hendrickson Spinner
A
Dry fly#12–14Rusty brown

Rusty spinner for the Hendrickson fall, which happens late afternoon into dusk over riffles and is often compressed into about thirty minutes. Cool evenings suppress the fall and push it to the next morning. Fish it flush in the film below riffles from late April through mid May.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00
Pheasant Tail Nymph (reference photo)Reference photo
Pheasant Tail Nymph
A
Nymph#10–20NaturalBeadheadFlashback

Old Au Sable Fly Shop names a #12 to #14 Pheasant Tail as the Hendrickson nymph, and it covers every Michigan Ephemerella and Baetis nymph before and during a hatch. A beadhead #10 is a standard trailer fly in U.P. steelhead rigs, and #12 to #20 versions take pink salmon in clear water. Fish it dead-drifted under an indicator or on a tight line in the weeks before each mayfly hatch.

Indicator nymphing · Euro / tight-line nymphing

Reserve · $2.75
Rusty Spinner (reference photo)Reference photo
Rusty Spinner
A
Dry fly#12–20Rusty brownRust with clear wings

Supinski's Muskegon chart says 'rusty spinners at dark' for Sulphurs, and the same fly covers Hendrickson, Cahill and March Brown falls over riffles at sunset. Fish it flush in the film at dusk from May through July when you see spent wings in the foam lines.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00
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
Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear (reference photo)Reference photo
Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear
A
Nymph#8–18NaturalOliveBeadhead

The generalist buggy nymph for Michigan's clinger mayflies and caddis pupae, and MidCurrent lists a #10 to #14 Hare's Ear among winter steelhead nymphs. Dead-drift it under an indicator all season for trout, and as a trailer behind an egg or stonefly for steelhead.

Indicator nymphing · Euro / tight-line nymphing

Reserve · $2.75
Hendrickson Emerger
A
Emerger#12–14Reddish brown with dun wingFloating nymph

Au Sable guides and Old Au Sable Fly Shop both recommend an emerger or floating nymph alongside the parachute during Hendricksons. Fish it in the film or as a dropper behind the dry when trout are bulging rather than breaking the surface in the first days of the hatch.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00
Red Quill (reference photo)Reference photo
Red Quill
A
Dry fly#14–16Reddish brown quill body

Imitates the male Hendrickson dun, which is darker and one hook size smaller than the female Light Hendrickson. Useful when fish key on the smaller males late in the Michigan Hendrickson window (early to mid May in the northern Lower Peninsula, a week or two later in the U.P.).

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00