Creative fly tyer, Mike Mercer, is generally credited with creating the
“Poxyback” style of artificial fly. Mr. Mercer will tell you, however,
that “the Poxyback style came to me from the genius of others.” In
fact, Mercer has credited three other accomplished fly anglers and
tyers, Andy Burk, Rich Henry, and Hal Janssen, with providing the
inspiration to work with epoxy on nymphs.
Regardless of who
gave the idea its first breath, the use of epoxy in nymphs and wet flies has become quite popular among the world’s fly tyers in recent years.
Mercer’s Poxyback
Baetis or Blue Winged Olive is a fantastically shaggy imitation of the
Baetis
or blue winged olive in its mature nymph life stage. Mercer designed
this fly with realism and movement in mind; it’s got ragged marabou
gills, and its cleverly epoxied wing pads offer a striking underwater
realism that feeding trout just can’t ignore!
Specifications:
- This fly pattern was developed in the late 1980s by creative fly tyer Mike Mercer
- Part of Mike Mercer’s Poxyback series of fly patterns, inspired by ideas and tying techniques of Andy Burk, Hal Janssen, and Rich Henry
- Baetis or blue winged olive imitation in the mature nymph life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Fish on a dead drift in all types of water; riffles and faster water are the most productive types
- Best results early in the morning or later in the evening
- Minimize surface commotion by using synthetic yarn or a large dry fly as a strike indicator
- Strikes are subtle, so timely hook sets are important
- SIZE 18
When and Where to Fish Mercer’s Poxyback Baetis or Blue Winged Olive
This
mayfly nymph can be fished as either an impressionistic fly pattern
when searching for trout or as a realistic imitation when matching the
hatch. When searching, fish this fly in medium to fast water early in
the morning or later in the evening – this is the time when Baetis and blue winged olives are most active. When fishing the Baetis
or blue winged olive hatch, these bugs will float, drift, and swim into
from the river bottom to the water’s surface, so try this pattern out
just prior to or during the hatch of adult duns.
How to Fish Mercer’s Poxyback Baetis or Blue Winged Olive
Fish
this fly on a dead drift through all the major water types and always
be careful to match your nymphing depth to the depth of the water
column. When fishing this fly pattern in shallow water of good to
excellent clarity, be very careful not to disturb the holding trout. Be
sure to select either a large dry fly or light synthetic yarn for an
indicator; creating too much commotion on the water’s surface can spook
wary trout. Takes on Baetis and blue winged olives tend to be extremely subtle, so do not hesitate to set the hook at the slightest tug on your leader.
Baetis
Baetis
are olive colored mayflies that occur in trout water throughout North
America. The wide distribution of this common swimming nymph makes it
an important year-round staple in a trout’s diet. During the larval
stage, Baetis thrive in the well-oxygenated water of medium to fast riffles and longer runs. Baetis
follows the life stages of a typical mayfly life cycle and hatches
year-round with more intense emergences occurring warmer months. Baetis is quite similar in appearance to the blue winged olive (Drunella),
a genus of mayfly common to the trout waters of northeastern North
America. This similarity often causes confusion, but in angling
practice, these bugs are fantastic substitutes for one another and
their imitations are often considered interchangeable for fishing
purposes.
Baetis Nymph Life Stage
During
its nymph life stage, these strong swimmers are commonly found in many
different types of water. The most prolific populations tend to occur
in well-oxygenated water; look for them in riffles and longer runs.
Because their swimming ability is well-developed, these nymphs will
commonly expose themselves by making adventurous trips away from safety
just before emergence and subsequent hatching. Baetis
nymphs are available to trout throughout the year and are most active
in the mornings and evenings. These slender-bodied nymphs are brown to
olive in color and just prior to and upon emergence, their wing pads
will darken significantly and take on a wet sheen, signifying an
impending hatch.
Blue Winged Olive
The blue winged olive (Drunella)
is a genus of mayfly commonly active in northeastern North America’s
trout waters from early spring (May) through the late summer months
(August and early September). At a time when caddis hatches are
prolific and the mayflies of spring and summer are gone, the blue
winged olive offers fly anglers a fantastic late-season chance at
fishing a classic mayfly hatch. These insects typically hatch in warmer
waters during mid day. The blue winged olive is a crawling nymph that
ranges from dark brown to olive in color and is often likened with Baeits, a popular staple of the western trout’s diet.
Blue Winged Olive Nymph Life Stage
During its nymph life stage, the blue winged olive (Drunella),
a stout crawling nymph, can be found in medium to fast riffles and
pockets in the northeastern trout water of North America. These nymphs
are most vulnerable just prior to emergence as they are caught in the
moving water as they float to the surface to hatch. Blue winged olive
nymphs are dark brown to olive in color and are most active during the
afternoon hours. The best hatches generally occur in warmer waters from
early spring (May) to the late summer months (August and September).
About the Tyer: Mike Mercer
Mike
Mercer is a self-proclaimed “hopeless fly fishing junkie with an
incurable addiction to the vise.” Such honest and direct words are not
surprising from Mr. Mercer, a fly angler and tyer known for his
innovative uses of fly tying materials and creative fly designs. In
fact, it wouldn’t be off the mark to say his fly patterns actually
reflect both his honesty and directness.
Mercer has been fishing
all his life, but catching his first smallmouth bass on a fly rod blew
open the proverbial gates, sending him deep into the fly fishing world.
With the help of his grandfather’s old pickup truck, Mercer explored
the fantastic trout water of California’s rich wilderness areas. With
his youthful enthusiasm for traveling with a fly rod, he actually
opened a fly shop of his own. At Mike Mercer’s Rod and Fly (doubling as
the basement of his parents’ house) a fly fisher could find a selection
of custom fly rods, fly fishing and fly tying magazines, and Mike
himself, behind the vise, whipping up box loads of custom flies.
As
a fly fishing guide, writer, travel consultant, and creative fly tyer,
Mercer has been able to form a unique perspective on the sport and
share it with other fly anglers across the world. His fly designs have
appeared in magazine, in books, and with the help of Umpqua Feather
Merchants, anglers across the globe have been able to fish a Mike
Mercer creation hard and with great success in waters near and far.
Mercer’s
designs often hinge on an idea that “seems obvious” but from a design
perspective, these are often the very best kinds of ideas. Mercer
continues to create great flies and is a tremendous resource to the fly
fishing and fly tying community.
Leland on Umpqua
In
1972 a man named Dennis Black and his fly tying skills found themselves
in high demand. Mr. Black, then a professional production fly tyer, was
famous in the industry for his unsurpassed skill and speed with
whipping up tremendously beautiful and precisely constructed flies. It
wasn’t long until this young fly tying superstar realized that he ought
to take his consistent approach to quality to the next level. Shortly
after this realization, a small army of fly tyers had banded together
to support Mr. Black’s vision. With the likes of Dave Whitlock, Jack
Dennis, and Andy Puyans, Mr. Black was officially in business.
Dennis
Black’s new company Umpqua Feather Merchants quickly extended its reach
and fly production capabilities with expansion into India, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand, where the world’s first and full blown “fly tying
factories” were built. Since those early days, only the highest
standard of excellence has marked Umpqua and this commitment to quality
and efficiency continues to spur the company forward. Dennis Black’s
innovative vision for “fly production” has truly revolutionized how the
fly industry operates and has ultimately made the majority of
production flies better. From the first “royalty system” for rewarding
the most creative professional fly tyers to streamlining production
systems and offering a range of other products, Umpqua Feather
Merchants just seems to “do it all.”
Today, Umpqua Feather
Merchants is without a doubt the world’s best and most prolific
supplier of hand tied fly fishing flies as well as fly tying hooks and
materials, and they recently got better! Umpqua’s brand new, state of
the art headquarters in Louisville, Colorado marks another paradigm
shift in the way fly tying business is done. From its vast warehouse to
its specially designed inventory management and tracking system, Umpqua
is poised to continue its energetic trajectory and lead the way for the
next generation of flies and fly tyers.
Umpqua on Umpqua
"As
you may or may not know, we're the largest producer of quality
hand-tied flies in the world. We also make available through your local
fly shop a wide array of the finest fly-tying hackle and Tiemco hooks.
At
Umpqua we offer everything the angler needs to a have a first class
fishing experience. (Everything that is, but the water and the fish.)"
Umpqua on Dennis Black and the “Obvious Quest”
“The
idea first took shape in the hands of our founder, Dennis Black, back
in 1972. As a fast and facile professional fly tyer, Dennis was known
for his skill and speed at producing hundreds of dozens of flies each
year for the larger mail order houses. But he was also quick to realize
how fast the demand for excellent flies would outstrip the abilities of
cottage industry types like him.
The Obvious Quest: To create
excellent flies in sufficient supply – without sinking his standards.
In response, Dennis developed (with characteristic care) a methodical
plan: First, he enlisted the tying expertise of the likes of Dave
Whitlock, Jack Dennis, Andy Puyans and others, to help him set the
standard of excellence for Umpqua flies.
Next, Dennis
established the first of what would eventually be five separate
fly-tying “factories,” first in India, then in Sri Lanka, and finally
in Thailand. The primary focus at each of these factories was on
producing the very best fishing flies possible, constructed of the very
best materials available. From the beginning, the quantity of flies
produced was secondary to the quality and excellence of each fly
pattern. These high standards were assured by the personal involvement
of the fly designers themselves, and by the ever-increasing skill,
imagination and creativity of the Umpqua production fly tiers. Today,
you will find no flies more skillfully tied than those available from
Umpqua Feather Merchants.
Finally, Dennis created a system of
royalty payments, to reward professional tyers like Whitlock, Lefty
Kreh, Randall Kaufman, Larry Dahlberg, and Bob Popovics for uniquely
good patterns.
The Result: Today, Umpqua produces umpteen
thousand dozen flies, from micro-scopic midge imitations to the huge
patterns favored by marlin and sailfish. And the "Umpquality" – you’ll
see for yourself.”