Burk's Hexagenia

Created by Andy Burk

HOOK: 200R, sizes 4-8. Weight the hook THREAD: Primrose or pale yellow TAIL: Gray marabou BACK: Turkey quill GILLS: Gray pheasant filoplume tied on top of hook (not wrapped). Form the abdomen first, then pull the filoplume over the top of it. RIB: Copper wire ABDOMEN: Pale yellow rabbit WINGCASE: Turkey tail THORAX: Same as abdomen LEGS: Mottled hen saddle

Uses

Imitates the nymph of a Hexagenia mayfly (big yellow may). These nymphs have large gills along the abdomen, and one of the keys to this fly's effectiveness is the filoplume pheasant "gills."

 
Hexagenia nymphs burrow into the silty bottom of some lakes and slow-moving rivers. They are rarely available to trout until they start to hatch.

How to Fish

The hex hatch starts after sunset, but a few hours before duns start appearing on the surface, the nymphs become active and are sometimes taken by trout. So a couple of hours before sunset, drop this fly near the bottom and use a lift-and-settle retrieve. Once the hatch is underway, try retrieving the nymph quickly to the surface with a vertical retrieve.