Grayling Witch, Grayling Steel Blue, Ke-He, Bradshaw's Fancy, The Witch, Silver Witch & Kill Devil Spider

Grayling Witch

Hook - Mustad 3906

Thread - Black

Tail – Red floss

Ribbing – Flat silver tinsel

Body – Green peacock herl

Hackle – Blue dun

Reference – Perrault’s Standard Dictionary of Fishing Flies (page 114)

Grayling Steel Blue

Hook - Mustad 3906

Thread - Black

Tip – Flat silver tinsel

Tag – Orange floss

Ribbing – Gold wire

Body – Thin peacock herl

Hackle – Blue dun palmered

Reference – Perrault’s Standard Dictionary of Fishing Flies (page 114)

Ke-He

Hook - Mustad 3906

Thread - Black

Tail - Red floss with golden pheasant tippets below or above

Body - Peacock herl

Hackle - Brown

Reference – Perrault’s Standard Dictionary of Fishing Flies (page 156)

Bradshaw’s Fancy

Hook - Mustad 3906

Thread - Black

Tag - Red floss or antron yarn (pictured)

Body - Peacock herl

Hackle - Grey hackle

Peak - Red floss or antron yarn (pictured)

The Witch

Hook - Mustad 3906

Thread - Black

Tail - Ibis (red floss pictured)

Body - Bright green peacock sword fibers, 2-3 strands twisted

Ribbing - Flat gold tinsel

Hackle - Honey dun

Reference - Grayling Fishing in South Country Streams – H. A. Rolt

Silver Witch

Soft Hackle Wet Fly

Hook - Mustad 3399 or equivalent

Thread - Black

Tail - Red yarn

Body - Peacock herl (apply some super glue to hook shank before wrapping)

Hackle - White/cream 

Kill Devil Spider

Soft Hackle Wet Fly

Hook - Mustad 3399 or equivalent

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Silver wire or oval silver tinsel

Body - Flat silver tinsel

Thorax - Peacock herl

Collar - Brown hen hackle

American Woolly

American Woolly

Hook - Mustad #94831 Size: 6 XL
Thread - Black, 6/0
Body - Black Hackle, Brown Hackle, Black Hackle, palmered. Tied as tight and heavy as possible. Trim to resemble a woolly worm caterpillar. Trim it flat or tapered on the ends.

Tying Tips: Easy to tie. Be generous with the head cement.

Fishing Tips: This is a great pattern for late fall. Bump it off a log or stone. Cast it in
near the shore or in any pocket waters. Big trout love it ! Can also be used
for pan fish tied in smaller sizes or for bass in larger sizes. Trim the bottom
of the hackle for a lower profile.

Historical Note: For years I’ve found these Woolly Worms (Pyrrharctia isabella) along the
banks of American rivers. My fascination with caterpillars lead me to develop a
high floating dry fly that closely resembles the ‘Woolly’ and that the fish just
can’t refuse.

Hex Trude

Hex Trude

Hook - Mustad 9671, 9672 or equivalent, size 6

Thread - Tan

Tail - Moose mane or body hairs

Body - Pale yellow or tan poly yarn or dubbing

Wing - White calf tail, tied trude style

Hackle - Grizzly & brown, mixed

Tying Tips: Standard techniques

Fishing Tips: Developed for the Hexagenia hatch. This fly works really well in especially in very light or extremely heavy hatches. The fly floats well and is easily seen. When fishing heavy hatches try casting upstream and to the right or lift of the trout, and then twitch the fly into his window. On many occasions I have been able to coax large trout into striking this pattern long after all feeding has stopped.

Historical Note: Jeff Bonin developed this pattern around 1987. It’s a very simple yet durable pattern. According to Jeff, “it’s my top Hex pattern.” Jeff is the owner of ‘Steelhead Connection Custom Flies,’ located in North Muskegon, Michigan.

Michigan Moth

Michigan Moth

 

Hook - Mustad #R50-94833, #94840 or R50X-94845 Size: 8-10

Thread - Pale yellow

Body - Natural White Peacock Herl (i substituted white yarn)

Wing: Natural Deer Hair, divided and pulled down to the sides of the fly

 

Tying Tips: You can use any dry fly hook and if you prefer you can substitute the deer hair light elk hair. Begin tying as if you were doing a caddis fly; once your hair is tied in simply divide the hair and pull it down toward the sides of the fly. Then, using your thread firmly secure the wings.

 

Fishing Tips: This fly is designed as a generalized moth pattern. Here in Michigan we have many species that we commonly call grass moths, lawn moths or just plane common brown moths. They are usually out April through September. They are attracted to light. When night fishing a river where the banks are lined with cabins the moths will often be found crossing the river, drawn by the lights of the cabins. That’s the most productive scenario for the use of this fly. I suspect that it might also be used on spruce moths.

 

Historical Note: Developed by Tom Deschaine for use on the Au Sable River, here in Michigan in 2014.

Caplis

Caplis

Hook - Mustad 94840, 94833 or 94845 or equivalent

Thread - Black

Tail - Red hackle fibers

Body - Peacock herl, reinforced

Wing - Bleached elk hair, tied down, caddis style

Hackle - Furnace or brown

The fly was designed by Tom Deschaine around 2007.

Michigan Hillbilly

Michigan Hillbilly

Hook - Mustad 94840 or equivalent

Thread - Black 6/0

Tail - Brown hackle fibers

Egg Sack - Peacock herl

Body - Red chenille*

Wing - Woodchuck

Hackle - Brown

May be tied with a yellow egg sac or yellow body. 

*May substitute fur or synthetic for chenille.

Fishing Tips. It was designed to be fished dry (requires a lot of floatant (if using chenille body), but may be fished wet.

Historical Note: Created by the Martuch brothers, Harold, Leon and George who were avid fly fisherman from back in the 1930’s and 1940’s. They often fished the East Branch of the Au Grey river. They used to fish the property of a farmer, whom they respectfully referred to as the ‘hillbilly.’ Leon Martuch is probably the most famous of the three, having founded Scientific Anglers of Midland, Michigan. 

Improved Chaos Hopper

Improved Chaos Hopper

Hook - TFS 2302 or equivalent, size 10-14

Thread - Brown or wood duck

Foam - 2mm cocoa/tan foam

Wing - Tan Crinkled Z-Lon/antron yarn etc.

Legs - Rubber legs in tan, yellow or green, knotted

Post - 2mm Yellow foam or white foam cylinder

Josh's Reaper Midge

Josh's Reaper Midge

Hook - Wide Gap Hook or dry-fly hook, sizes 16-22

Thread - Black

Abdomen - Veevus Iris Thread in color of choice

Wing - Pearl Krystal Flash

Hackle - Grizzly

Thorax - UV Ice Dub in pink, purple, orange etc

Royaled Crystal Gnat

Royaled Crystal Gnat

Hook - Mustad 94840 or equivalent

Thread - Red

Hackle - Grizzly

Body - Peacock micro crystal chenille - Red thread - Peacock micro crystal chenille

A variation of a Griffiths Gnat

GT Triple Double

GT Triple Double

Hook - Dry fly

Thread - Black

Hackle - Grizzly - Brown - Grizzly

Body - Dubbing

Matt's Midge

Matt's Midge

Hook - Dry fly style

Thread - Black

Body - Black thread

Wing - White z-lon

Hackle - Grizzly

Tie this pattern in different colors

Matt’s Midge is named for its originator, Matt Miles of Colorado.

Double Renegade

Double Renegade

Hook - Mustad R50-94840 (or equivalent), size 8-12

Thread - Black

Tag - Gold Tinsel

Front and Rear Hackle - Brown

Middle Hackle - Cream/White

Body - Peacock Herl

Madam X

Madam X

Doug Swisher

Hook - Curved dry fly style

Thread - Yellow

Head - Deer hair

Tail - Deer hair

Body - Deer hair

Wings - Deer hair

Legs - White round rubber legs

Tied from a recipe I found on the internet.

Feel free to substitute materials when tying your version of the Madam X.

Stimulator

Stimulator

Hook - Curved dry fly style

Thread - Orange

Tail - Deer or elk hair

Rib - Fine copper wire

Abdomen - Uni-Stretch floss, pumpkin

Hackle - Golden badger

Wing - Deer or elk hair

Front Hackle - Golden badger

Thorax - Peacock Herl

A fly style POPULARIZED (NOT CREATED) by Randall Kauffmann

Note - The recipe above is what I used but this fly can be tied in whatever 

color combination with whatever materials you currently have on hand.

Ausable Bomber

Ausable Bomber

Tail - Woodchuck Guard Hairs

Wing - Calf Tail
Hackle - Brown and Grizzly

Body - Rusty orange dubbing

Orange Asher

Orange Asher

Hook - Mustad 94840 or equivalent

Thread - Orange 

Hackle - Grizzly

Body: Orange thread, floss, antron yarn, dubbing, uni-stretch, z-lon etc

After learning thread control in the beginner fly tying classes I took many years ago, it was time to tie some new flies with 2 materials. The instructor chose the Orange Asher as a place to begin.

This was followed by a change in the body floss from orange to red to give you the "Bloody Asher". Thats the name I was told by the instructor but I have also heard it called "Bloody Butcher".

Other variations would simply be tied using different colors of floss, tying it with peacock herl is the "Griffiths Gnat". I have purchased flies with a cream colored dubbed body and had tremendous success with it on the Green River in Utah. Another variation use grizzly hackle fibers for a tail and also has a gold tinsel rib. Try tying it with different body materials and different colors of hackle. The options are all up to you.

Reference: http://www.evergreentrout.org/Flies/OrangerAsher.htm

Peacock Caddis

Peacock Caddis

Hook - Mustad 94840 or equivalent

Thread - Black

Body - Peacock herl*

Wing - Deer, elk, caribou hair etc 

Hackle - Grizzly

* For durability, wrap the peacock herl around the tying thread to create a herl chenille and apply a coat of crazy glue to the hook shank prior to wrapping the peacock herl forward.

Woodchuck Caddis

Woodchuck Caddis

Hook: Dry fly

Thread: Black

Body: Dubbing in your choice of color to match the caddis in your area

Wing: Woodchuck hairs

Hackle: Brown & grizzly mixed

Top Hopper

Top Hopper

Hook:  Dry fly, sizez 8-12

Thread: Black

Tail: Orange hackle fibers

Body: Olive green chenille extended over the tail by looping the chenille

Wing: Woodchuck, ending at or just past the bend of the hook, tied trude style

Hackle: Brown

Reference: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/articles/oldflies/2011/oldflies20110912.php

Hot Mustard

Hot Mustard

Hook - Dry fly style

Thread - Black

Tail - Gold antron yarn

Body - Gold antron yarn

Rib - Grizzly hackle, palmered

This easily tied fly was Josephine Sedlecky-Borsum rendition of the Little Yellow Stone. It was favored among the locals as a fly that could be fished from midsummer into late fall. It could also be fished during the Big Golden Stone hatch. This fly was developed in the early 1960's.