Fly Tying

How to Tie The Hendrickson Dry Fly

Jun 30, 2022 · 3 min read
Sabin PiatekBy Sabin Piatek
Sabin Piatek
Sabin Piatek

Sabin Piatek is a fly fishing and tying expert that is always out on the water. He fishes everything from small creek dry flies to 12" Beast flies ...

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How to Tie The Hendrickson Dry Fly

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The Hendrickson dry fly was first tied in 1916 by Roy Steenrod for a friend named Albert Hendrickson for fishing the Beaverkill River's famed spring mayfly hatch. The Ephemerella subvaria mayfly and the Hendrickson dry fly eventually became synonymous, and anglers now refer to the insect by the pattern's name. You do not have to be in the Catskills in May to fish the Hendrickson dry fly; the pattern fishes well as a general attractor in faster pocket water, thanks to a design that allows the fly to sit higher in the water column. Follow along as Karl gives step-by-step instructions on tying this essential Catskill-style dry fly.

Recipe

Step 1

Fingers wrapping olive chartreuse thread around a bronze hook clamped in a vise for Hendrickson dry fly tying

Start your thread about one hook‑eye length behind the eye and wrap back toward the bend of the hook.

Step 2

Close-up of hands fly tying a Hendrickson dry fly with tan CDC wing, soft dubbing and gold thread on a viseHands trimming tan synthetic wing material with gold scissors next to olive thread bobbin on fly-tying vise, dry fly tutorial

Prepare a single mallard flank feather by stripping off the fluffy fibers at the base and keeping the thinner fibers toward the tip. Trim off the very soft, brittle tip section.

Step 3

Hands performing fly tying on Hendrickson dry fly using tan feather fibers and olive-green thread on a viseHands tying Hendrickson dry fly with olive-yellow thread body and mottled tan feather tail using scissors and small hook

Stroke the fibers on the mallard flank back with your fingers to create a clump for the wings. Tie this in on top of the hook shank with the tips pointing forward, extending past the hook eye. Trim the excess stem behind the tie‑in point.

Step 4

Hendrickson dry fly being tied, close-up hands holding tan-olive feather wings and fine thread at the hook eye

Hands tying an olive Hendrickson dry fly with barred brown feather hackle and fine gold thread in a vise

Split the forward‑facing wing clump down the middle and pull the fibers to each side of the hook shank. Make 8–10 figure‑eight wraps between the two clumps to separate and position the wings.

Step 5

Hands tying a tan Hendrickson dry fly with barred pheasant hackle and gold hook clamped in a vise, fly tying close-up

Once the wings are positioned, add a small drop of superglue to the thread wraps to help lock them in place. After the glue dries, wrap the thread back to the bend of the hook.

Step 6

Close-up hands doing fly tying of Hendrickson dry fly with gray feather and white thread on gold hook in vise

Olive-green Hendrickson dry fly with speckled feather wings and white tail on gold hook in vise, fly tying

Select a Whiting Blue Dun feather and strip off the fluff at the base, leaving the finer fibers in the middle of the feather. Strip 7–10 fibers from the stem and tie them in at the bend so they extend about one hook‑shank length beyond the back of the hook for the tail.

Step 7

Hands tying an olive-yellow Hendrickson dry fly in a vise with speckled brown feather wings and white tail - fly tyingHendrickson dry fly in vise with cream dubbing body, white tail and olive feather upright wings - fly tying close-up

Make a thin, even dubbing noodle with Hairline Superfine Dubbing and wrap it forward to form a smooth, tapered abdomen, stopping just behind the wings.

Step 8

Hands holding gray feather fibers beside a vise tying a cream Hendrickson dry fly on a gold hook, fly tying

Prepare another, slimmer Whiting Blue Dun feather by trimming the fibers off the bottom of the stem to create a clean tie‑in point.

Step 9

Hand holding Hendrickson dry fly in vise with tan dubbed body, gray and cream feather wings and gold hook, fly tying

Tie this feather in just behind the wings at a slight angle to make wrapping easier. Wrap the feather 3–4 turns around the hook shank behind the wings to create the hackle.

Step 10

Hands fly tying Hendrickson dry fly with translucent white wing, gray-olive dubbed body and pale hackle on gold hook in vise

Gently pull the wings back while you wrap the same hackle feather 1–2 turns in front of the wings, leaving a small gap between the hackle and the hook eye.

Step 11

Hands tying olive Hendrickson dry fly on vise with yellow thread, speckled feather wings and gray hackle, fly tying close-up

Build a small thread head, then add 2–3 whip finishes behind the hook eye and secure with a tiny drop of superglue.

Step 12

White and gray Hendrickson dry fly with soft wool body, gray hackle and cream feather wing tied on gold hook for fly fishing

Your Hendrickson dry fly is finished and ready for the mayfly hatch.

Sabin Piatek
Written by

Sabin Piatek

Sabin Piatek is a fly fishing and tying expert that is always out on the water. He fishes everything from small creek dry flies to 12" Beast flies off a boat. He has been tying flies for almost a decade and has been tying commericaly for the last 5 years. Sabin always wants to help people improve their fishing and tying knowledge.

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