classic Michigan dry fly · c. 1979
Troutsman Drake
Unverified origin Only the archive card, which Galloup contributed, describes the fly and date. Shops sell a moose-hair "Galloup's Brown Drake" that may be the same fly, but none links the names.
History
Kelly Galloup came up with the Troutsman Drake around 1979, before he opened the Troutsman shop in Traverse City. He wanted the look of an extended-body drake without tying on separate tails, so he made body and tails from one bunch of moose body hair.
Galloup fishes it as an attractor wherever any drake hatches, and in Michigan he liked it in the hours before the Hex spinners arrive. He calls it his favorite of his own dry flies.
Materials
| Hook | Dry (Tiemco 531), sizes 10 to 14 |
|---|---|
| Thread | Wine 8/0 |
| Body and tail | Moose body hair, figure-eight wrapped into an extended body with flared tails |
| Wing post | White deer or calf body hair |
| Hackle | Grizzly dyed dark brown, two sizes over the hook |
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.