Paul's March 2025 Bonus Fly of the Month

 CDC Hendrickson Emerger

Hook:  Partridge SLP Size #12 or preferred curved emerger/nymph hook.

Thread:  Uni 8/0 Tan, Brown, or Wood Duck.

Shuck:  Dark Brown or Dark Dun Zylon, Antron, or Shuck Yarn.

Rib:  Copper wire. 

Body:  Turkey Tail Herl.

Post/Wing:  Dark Dun CDC.

Thorax:  Super Fine Hendrickson Pink Dubbing.

***This pattern can be modified to mimic any hatch by simply changing the dubbing color, post color, and/or shuck color.  Also when downsizing this fly for other hatches you may want to use Pheasant Tail Fibers for the body.

To tie this fly, start your thread a little behind the hook eye.  Lay down a thread base extending to the hook point.  Prepare your CDC wing.  For a size #12 fly use 4 CDC plums.  Align the tips of the feathers and tie them in with the tips extending over the hook eye.  They should extend about a hook gap length past the eye.  After 4-5 secure wraps, cut off the butt ends and wrap over what remains to form a smooth body base.  Continue wrapping down the bend so that you can tie in your Zylon or Antron Shuck.  After tying your shuck in, trim itso that it’s a hook gap in length.  At your shuck ‘tie-in’ point, tie in your Copper wire rib.  At the same tie in point tie in a few Turkey Tail Fibers.  Wrap your Turkey Fibers forward so that it remains flat and thin to create the body of the fly.  Leave a hook-eye space behind your wing, tie it off and remove the butt ends.  Next, make spiral wraps up the hook shank with your Copper Wire Rib.  Tie it off and ‘helicopter’ off the excess.

 Now, pull your wing back and with a series of wraps in front of it, affix it remains upright.  With your thread behind the wing, create a dubbing noddle with Hendrickson Dubbing.  Wrap in back and in front of your wing to create a thorax for your fly.  Whip finish your fly and your done. 

Dette Flies has a great video on how to tie this fly below:

If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a Fly of The Month I can be reached at pdinice@frontier.com .