Hendrickson
The Hendrickson hatch signals the true opening of Eastern trout season each spring. The male version (Red Quill) and female (Hendrickson) require different patterns. The female's pink-cream body is well matched by urine-burned fox belly. Fish on slow pools and flats from noon onward on warm April days, using 5X to 6X tippet.
- Type
- dry fly (Mayfly)
- Hook sizes
- #12–14
- Target species
- trout
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Best seasons
- spring
Materials
- hook: Dry fly hook #12–14
- thread: Tan or pinkish-gray 8/0
- tail: Dun hackle fibers
- body: Pinkish-cream dubbing (urine-stained fox fur or synthetic)
- wing: Woodduck flank, upright and divided
- hackle: Blue dun rooster hackle
Tying steps
- Mount hook and start pinkish-gray thread; wrap to the bend.
- Tie in 6–8 blue dun hackle fibers as a split tail.
- Dub a pinkish-cream body from bend to the 2/3 mark using urine-stained fox fur or substitute.
- Tie in two woodduck flank segments upright and divided as wings; separate with figure-eight.
- Post-wrap each wing base to stand them perpendicular to the shank.
- Tie in a blue dun hackle and wind 4–5 turns between and behind the wings.
- Tie off hackle, build a small tapered Catskill head.
- Whip finish and lacquer the head.