classic Michigan dry fly · 1970s
Sturgeon Drake
Also called Gauthier's Brown Drake
Likely origin Gauthier's own account on the card; Deschaine's review of Gauthier's book confirms the Brown Drake is his pattern but gives no history.
History
Tom Gauthier designed this deer-hair drake in the 1970s after his first big brown drake hatch on the Sturgeon River north of Gaylord, working from naturals he collected there.
He later renamed it simply the Brown Drake in his book Fly Tying Illustrated. Gauthier does not stack the deer hair for his wings.
Materials
| Hook | Dry, size 8 |
|---|---|
| Thread | Brown 8/0 |
| Wing | Natural deer hair, unstacked, single post |
| Underbody | Golden brown poly |
| Overbody and tail | Natural deer hair pulled over the back and extended past the bend |
| Rib | Yellow 3/0 thread or fine floss |
| Hackle | Brown |
Sources
- Deschaine, T. "Sturgeon Drake." Michigan Dry Flies archive recipe card.
- Deschaine, T. Review of Fly Tying Illustrated: Flies You Can Count On To Catch Trout, by Tom Gauthier. Fly Anglers Online, January 2, 2012.
- Gauthier, T. Fly Tying Illustrated: Flies You Can Count On To Catch Trout. Trafford Publishing.
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.