Henryville Special
Hook: Dry fly hook #14
Rib: Sparsely palmered grizzly hackle, two sizes smaller than hook size (gap width)
Body: Light olive dubbing
Underwing: Wood duck, sparse, tied flat over body
Wing: Mallard quill sections, tied flat over body
Hackle: Brown, hook size
I had just finished fishing a section of pocket water on Pennsylvania's Yellow Creek in early spring, and was back at the car. My friend Wendell McConnel mentioned that he saw some fish rising upstream of the bridge and he thought I should try for them. I looked and it was dead flat water, tough sledding. Just then, a caddis lit on my finger and I thought "This guy looks exactly like a Henryville Special". So armed with some I went down, circled way around and stealthily waded into position, taking a lot of time. There were three fish in a row. Within two casts I caught and released the one farthest upstream, my next cast netted the second, and I was getting ready to bang the third when a second friend yelled from the bridge "You can't fish down there yet, not until next week!". Oops. Oh well, Wendell was impressed and I had a new fly to add to my arsenal. And even better than that, I wasn't arrested. I've used the Henryville Special many times since on the Mad River in Ohio and out West with fine results.
Rib: Sparsely palmered grizzly hackle, two sizes smaller than hook size (gap width)
Body: Light olive dubbing
Underwing: Wood duck, sparse, tied flat over body
Wing: Mallard quill sections, tied flat over body
Hackle: Brown, hook size
I had just finished fishing a section of pocket water on Pennsylvania's Yellow Creek in early spring, and was back at the car. My friend Wendell McConnel mentioned that he saw some fish rising upstream of the bridge and he thought I should try for them. I looked and it was dead flat water, tough sledding. Just then, a caddis lit on my finger and I thought "This guy looks exactly like a Henryville Special". So armed with some I went down, circled way around and stealthily waded into position, taking a lot of time. There were three fish in a row. Within two casts I caught and released the one farthest upstream, my next cast netted the second, and I was getting ready to bang the third when a second friend yelled from the bridge "You can't fish down there yet, not until next week!". Oops. Oh well, Wendell was impressed and I had a new fly to add to my arsenal. And even better than that, I wasn't arrested. I've used the Henryville Special many times since on the Mad River in Ohio and out West with fine results.