modern Michigan dry fly · early to mid-1970s
Big Yellow May
Unverified origin No public source describing this version of the fly was found.
History
The Big Yellow May is a Michigan Hex dun from the early to mid-1970s, by an unknown tyer. The Hex (Hexagenia limbata) is the largest mayfly on Michigan trout streams, and it hatches mostly after dark from late June into early July.
It is an all-yellow fly, with a tapered yarn body, hackle-tip wings and mixed yellow and ginger hackle, meant to match the pale cast of a fresh Hex dun.
Materials
| Hook | Dry, 3XL, size 8 |
|---|---|
| Tail | Wood duck flank |
| Body | Yellow yarn, tapered |
| Rib | Yellow, crisscrossed |
| Wings | Light yellow hackle tips |
| Hackle | Yellow and ginger |
Sources
Know more about this fly's history, or spot a mistake? Send a correction.
No photo yet. Every photo on michfly is of a fly tied for the site, so they're added a few at a time.
Original recipe cards for many Michigan patterns are kept at the Michigan Dry Flies archive, built by the late Tom Deschaine.