modern Michigan dry fly · c. 1980
Gray Drake
Also called Long's Gray Drake
Unverified origin Only the Michigan Dry Flies archive supports the tyer, place and date; hatch details come from Troutnut.
History
The Michigan Dry Flies archive credits this dun to John Long of Birmingham, Michigan, around 1980. No public source found so far confirms the tyer or the date.
Gray drakes (Siphlonurus) are large mayflies whose emergence drags on for weeks; most adults are recorded in June and July, with some in May. The duns are usually thought less important than the spinners, which return at dusk in the Midwest a few days after hatching. A big gray dun on a long hook, as described here, would cover the duns that do reach the water.
Materials
| Hook | Dry, extra long, sizes 10 to 12 |
|---|---|
| Tail | Dun hackle tips |
| Wings | Smoky gray hackle |
| Body | Dark gray dubbing flecked with olive brown |
| Hackle | Dark dun |
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.