Henwing Emerger (George Schlotter pattern)

[letumgo]

George Schlotter's Henwing Emerger
Hook: Standard dry fly (in example shown below I've used Mustad R50/size 12)
Thread: Rust/orange
Tail: 3 pheasant tail barbs
Body: Blended Australian opossum
Legs/Wing: Speckled hen feather - wrapped twice as a collar, then folded back to form the wing

I first read about this pattern back in spring of 2006. There was a wonderful article called "Curious George" in the Spring 2006 edition of "Flyfishing & Tying Journal", written by Thomas Ames Jr.

For me, it was a case of love at first sight. I fell in love with the henwing style as soon as I saw the photo showing a March Brown and Hendrickson version of this emerger pattern.

I lost track of this article, but it has stuck in my memory all this time. Yesterday morning I sat on my tying room floor, combing thru old magazines until I finally found this old article so I could reread it. Once finished, I had to head to the vice to tye some of these flies.

PHOTO FROM ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Caption Read: The Hendrickson version (front/bottom) first shown by Rick Hamel, and the March Brown configuration (top/rear) that George Schlotter latter tied for Mr. Ames

TYING INSTRUCTIONS IN MAGAZINE ARTICLE:


Step-by-Step Tying Sequence:



Awesome Possum Dubbing:





Speckled Hen Hackle

Prepared Hackle


Top down view (hackle tyed in by the stem and prepared for wrapping forward)


Two forward wraps (forming legs of the fly), then tying thread advanced forward reinforcing steam and preparing to tye down the wing (hackle tip).


Draw hackle fibers (legs) and wing (hackle tip) back over the body. Wrap thread back, forming head of fly and securing materials in place.


Finished Flies:



NOTE ABOUT FISHING THIS PATTERN:
George advised to apply floatant to the wing only, to keep it just above the surface, with the rest of the fly hanging beneath, like a natural emerger. Mr. Ame's first tried it during a March Brown hatch on Vermont's Ottaquechee, "and the fish eat it like a dog eats biscuits" I (Ames) tried the Hendrickson version during an emergence the following spring on the Housatonic, when the fish refused my Catskill classic, and caught those fussy browns seemingly at will".

Certainly sounded like a pattern worth trying.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCE:

[chugbug]

Great looking emerger! And sbs... The tip of the hen back feather lies flat over the top, yes? Could fish nicely that way for a tan caddis emerger, too...

For my swap fly March brown I'd decided on a mix of light & dark Australian possum, too (with some fitch and a little fiery brown & amber seal). And there I thought I came up with something on the possum coloring, proving again that every idea I've got has already been tried and tested, many times over I'm sure

[letumgo]

In answer to your question, yes the tip of the hen feather is tyed down flat (horizontal) over the back of the fly. The wing ends up being kind of a rounded delta (triangular) shape (narrow at the eye) spreading outwards to the tip of the feather.

I look forward to seeing your swap flies. Your dubbing blend sounds terrific.

[Old Hat]

Thanks for posting this Ray. Many years ago I used to tie a pattern called the Upland Caddis. Very similar finished design but with palmered dry hackle and a hun wing. Can't remember where I found the pattern or who tied it. That was before internet so I know it was in a book or magazine.

[letumgo]

Carl - Do you remember what size hook and what color body/hackle you used? I'd like to tye some.

[Old Hat]

The body was usually yellow or green with a red hackle or grizzly hackle and the hun wing was a white speckled. I would trim the hackle on top so the wing would lay correctly. Usually a #12-#16. You got me wanting to tie some up.

[letumgo]

Carl,

Do you mean something along these lines? Feel free to post a picture, if you tye some up.




I used Collin's Rooster Dry Fly hackle (rich brown) for the palmer hackle and Hungarian Partridge (brown phase) for the wing. Body is golden olive goat dubbing.

Looks like a nice little caddis pattern.

[Mike62]

Ames says he first tried it during a hatch of March Brown on the Ottauquechee in Vermont. Many of you may not have visited those small rivers that run through Vermont and New Hampshire; the Ottauquechee being one. It's a beautiful stream; though I haven't fished it in decades now. I can just imagine Ames, or anybody else, standing in those waters and tying on this pattern. Wonderful thread, Ray.

[jcwillow777]

Nice on both accounts Ray! Thanks for posting.