classic Michigan dry fly · 1950s
Manistee Hex
Unverified origin Her shop and years are publicly confirmed, but the fly itself is supported only by the Michigan Dry Flies archive.
History
Josephine Sedlecky-Borsum ran Ed's Sport Shop in Baldwin from 1945 to 1992 and tied a great many flies for its customers. The Manistee Hex is credited to her in the 1950s as a night fly for the Hex hatch on the Manistee. 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 said to be based on her Brown Stone, an all-white Hex fly. White calf-tail wings and tail keep it visible in the dark, and a yellow body with an egg sac suggests a female drake.
Materials
| Hook | Dry, sizes 2 to 10 |
|---|---|
| Tail | White calf tail |
| Body | Yellow yarn, with an egg sac |
| Rib | Brown and grizzly hackle, palmered |
| Wings | White calf tail |
| Hackle | Brown |
Sources
- Deschaine, T. "Jo's Flies." Just Old Flies, Fly Anglers Online, September 12, 2011.
- "Mayfly Species Hexagenia limbata (Hexes)." Troutnut.
- 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.