classic Michigan dry fly · mid to late 1970s
Martin's Deer Hair Hex Fly
Unverified origin Only the archive recipe card supports the tyer, place and date. The date is Deschaine's estimate and the recipe is a composite.
History
This Hex dry is credited to C. R. "Doc" Martin, a Michigan veterinarian. Tom Deschaine's best guess puts it in the mid to late 1970s.
The sources Deschaine found gave different recipes and photos, so the dressing on the card is his own combination. He picked pheasant shoulder feathers over wing covers for color, and Martin reportedly thought a yellow egg sac made the fly much more effective.
Materials
| Hook | Long-shank dry (Mustad 9672, or 94840/94833), sizes 4 to 8 |
|---|---|
| Thread | Orange 6/0 |
| Tail | Small bunch of moose body hair |
| Body | Natural deer body hair along the shank, slightly extended and flared, cross-ribbed with thread |
| Wing | Ring-necked pheasant wing-cover or shoulder feathers, upright and divided (or spent) |
| Hackle | Variegated ginger (white also used) |
| Egg sac (optional) | Yellow poly yarn |
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.