Some of the flies I generally use to match
Hendricksons are Bear’s Clear-Wing Rusty Spinner,
a Potter’s Laid Back Dun, a Sproat Emerger, and Ed
McCoy’s Hendrickson Emerger. When in doubt, use
an emerger—more often than not larger, selective
fish take advantage of the struggling fly versus
chasing a nymph or a dun.
Some of the classic flies still work and you’ll
find many anglers wandering the banks with a
solid selection of Red Quills, Beaverkills, Lady
Beaverkills, and Whirling Duns. Even a Borch-ers
Drake serves well during a hatch.
No matter which flies you throw, this hatch is an
event. A few years back I fished with some men who
met annually, for a week, just after the opener. We
would pair up, grab our ca-noes, head out to a variety
of small waters and seek answers in the riffles below
small budding willows and green cedars.
Once, we rounded one of our favorite bends
and came upon a series of rising trout. Weather
was in our favor, meaning partly cloudy skies and
air temps near the 60-degree mark.