modern Michigan dry fly · 2008
Fire Fly
Likely origin The archive card and Deschaine's own Fly Anglers Online column agree; both are his account. They differ on glow time (2 to 3 vs 3 to 4 minutes).
History
Tom Deschaine, a retired Westland teacher and rod builder, finished the Fire Fly in 2008 after several years of trying versions that did not float or color up right. It is a deer-hair beetle with a glowing yellow Flashabou body that matches the common North American firefly genera.
A flashlight charges the flash for a few minutes of glow. He used it as a general beetle and as his first choice on nights when fireflies are out.
Materials
| Hook | Dry (Mustad 94840 or 94833), size 10 |
|---|---|
| Thread | Tan 6/0 |
| Underbody | Natural deer body hair, butts tied at the throat, tips left long past the bend |
| Overbody | Yellow glow-in-the-dark Flashabou over the shank |
| Shellback | The deer hair pulled forward over the body, tied off at the throat and trimmed caddis style; lacquered |
Sources
- Deschaine, T. "Fire Fly." Michigan Dry Flies archive recipe card.
- Deschaine, T. "Fire Fly." Fly of the Week, Fly Anglers Online (column path dated 12/22/08).
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.