classic Michigan dry fly · about 1917 to 1920
Widdicomb
Unverified origin Rests on Deschaine's columns, which rely on Halladay family history; no independent source found, and they differ on whether Widdicomb or Halladay designed it.
History
Tom Deschaine counted the Widdicomb among Michigan's earliest dry flies. Halladay family history holds that Ralph Widdicomb, of the Grand Rapids furniture family, got Len Halladay started in fly tying, and that Halladay tied the first Widdicomb from Widdicomb's description. Deschaine believed it was in use between about 1917 and 1920, a few years before Halladay's Adams.
It is a sparse spent-wing fly with a quill body, wood duck tail, light dun hackle-tip wings and golden badger hackle. Deschaine's two columns frame the credit slightly differently: one says Halladay tied it for Widdicomb, the other that Widdicomb designed it and Halladay tied it.
Materials
| Hook | Dry fly, sizes 12 to 14 |
|---|---|
| Thread | Black 6/0 |
| Tail | Wood duck flank fibers |
| Body | Stripped peacock quill |
| Wings | Light dun hackle tips, spent |
| Hackle | Golden badger, sparse |
Sources
- Deschaine, T. "From the Vise of the Mayfield Tyer." Fly Anglers Online, January 27, 2014.
- Deschaine, T. "The Adams: Final Chapter." Fly Anglers Online, November 19, 2012.
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.