classic Michigan dry fly · 1940s to 1960s
Bradley
Unverified origin Roberts' career is well sourced, but the only support for his tying the Bradley is the Michigan Dry Flies archive.
History
The Bradley is a quill-bodied dry with white deer-hair wings, meant for the brownish spinners that fall on Au Sable evenings. The Michigan Dry Flies archive credits it to Clarence Roberts, the Grayling game warden best known for his Yellow Drake.
Roberts tied flies for sale from about 1949 and used deer hair more than any other material, which fits this pattern. Nobody seems to know where the name came from.
Materials
| Hook | Dry, sizes 10 to 14 |
|---|---|
| Tail | Ginger hackle fibers |
| Body | Stripped peacock quill |
| Wings | White deer hair |
| Hackle | Brown |
Sources
- "Showcasing the DNR: The game warden and the Yellow Drake." Schrems West Michigan Trout Unlimited.
- "Clarence Roberts." FrankenFly.
- Deschaine, T. Michigan Dry Flies archive.
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.