classic Michigan dry fly · 1950s
Roberts' Moose Hair Caddis
Also called Moose Hair Caddis
Likely origin Only Deschaine's column (drawn from Roberts' family notes and his mounted display) describes this fly; other sources confirm Roberts but not the pattern.
History
Clarence Roberts, a Grayling game warden, began selling flies around 1949 and is best known for Roberts' Yellow Drake. Most of his own patterns date from the 1950s; he raised roosters for hackle and used hair from road-killed deer.
In spite of the name, the Moose Hair Caddis is a mayfly. It uses the same extended hair body as his drakes, here in bleached moose, with spent grizzly wings, and Tom Deschaine suggests it was a general fly for any light-colored drake or spinner fall.
Materials
| Hook | Standard dry (Mustad 94840), sizes 10 to 12 |
|---|---|
| Thread | Black 6/0 |
| Tail | Ends of the body hair, clipped to a few strands |
| Body | Bleached moose hair laid along the shank and extended past the bend |
| Rib | Tying thread, crisscrossed |
| Wing | Grizzly hackle tips, paired and spent |
| Hackle | Ginger |
Sources
- Deschaine, T. "Clarence Roberts: Au Sable River Tyer." Fly Anglers Online, July 30, 2012.
- "Showcasing the DNR: The game warden and the Yellow Drake." Michigan DNR bulletin.
- "The Other Fly-Tying Legend." Northern Express, November 16, 2025.
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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.