Hexagenia Pattern

[Chesapeake]

A couple folks asked about the Hex pattern I had mentioned in another thread. This pattern was taught to my brother and me by grandpa when we were teens. No idea who or where it came from. It may have bean his pattern. We use it up on Merril lake.

Its fairly easy to tie and doesnt require much for supplies. We use yellow elk (or deer) hair(body), Yellow deer tail(wing), and your choice of hackle. You can even drop the deer tail and just use body hair for the wing. The deer tial is more durable though. You can put hackle in front and behind the wing if you like. You can clip the tail off, or leave it fluffy. You can tie it with black or yellow thread to give different looks.

The pictured one uses yellow thread, yellow deer tail(wing). Yellow elk hair (body), and olive hacke in front and behind the wing. No idea on the hook size, just grabbed one I liked.




This is my favorite version of the pattern.

[Doryfisher]

Nice, Thanks for the tutorial

[divebumor]

Truly look forward to tying this pattern.
Thank you for sharing

[A4Effort]

Great looking pattern, Thanks for sharing!!! Looking forward to the Hex hatch this year!

[divebumor]

Any pointers on how to make the tail?

[Newbs]

Muucho cool...

[Chesapeake]

Originally Posted by divebumor

Any pointers on how to make the tail?

You can do it one of two ways that I know of.

Probably the easiest is to clamp a long needle, or stiff wire in your vise. Lay the hair along the wire and wrap it and tie it off. Then slide the tail off the wire and tie it to the hook.
I suppose they have a name for this operation, but I dont know it.

How I do it is to hold the hairs along the hook and then wrap them going down the shank. At the point the tail leaves the hook I hold the tail pinched in my right hand. I use my left to manipulate the bobbin around the tail and vice and hold each wrap in place with my right index finger while doing all this. I can lay the wraps on real neet this way if I want, but its much easier to make nice neet wraps with the tail on wire. I usualy dont worry about neet wraps. The fish dont seem to notice, but other fisherman do.

[jaxflyfish]

this looks like a nice pattern. I have noticed the trout up there seem to fold those hexes as they slurp them. I had tried a extended body fly before that kept getting popped up in the air by the fish without me ever hooking any. I went to a foam extended body but it doesn't hold up well.

Have you had good success with the fly?

[Chesapeake]

Originally Posted by jaxflyfish

this looks like a nice pattern. I have noticed the trout up there seem to fold those hexes as they slurp them. I had tried a extended body fly before that kept getting popped up in the air by the fish without me ever hooking any. I went to a foam extended body but it doesn't hold up well.

Have you had good success with the fly?

Best I can remember I have bean fishing that fly with good success since the late 80's. Seem to have as many drive by's as any fly. Cant say I've ever attested the misses to the fly not fitting in the fishes mouth.

If you think size is the issue try it in a smaller size or clip the tail off short.

[shawn k]

Originally Posted by jaxflyfish

this looks like a nice pattern. I have noticed the trout up there seem to fold those hexes as they slurp them. I had tried a extended body fly before that kept getting popped up in the air by the fish without me ever hooking any. I went to a foam extended body but it doesn't hold up well.

Have you had good success with the fly?

Try fishing quigleys cripple when the fish are hitting the flies that hard.
they take the cripple better because it is sub-surface.