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
Callibaetis is a fantastically shaggy imitation of the
Callibaetis
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
- Callibaetis imitation in the mature nymph life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Swim the fly through slow water; lakes, backwater, and eddys are the most productive water types for this fly
- Best results during summer months are obtained mid-morning
- When the weather and water temperatures are a bit cooler, look for Callibaetis in the late afternoon
- Callibaetis strikes are often far from subtle because trout must pursue these strong swimmers aggressively
- SIZE 16
When and Where to Fish Mercer’s Poxyback Callibaetis
This
relatively small 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 the
still waters of lakes or the slow backwaters and eddys of rivers. Callibaetis
are active at mid-morning during the summer months and later in the
afternoon once the weather and water temperatures cool off during the
fall and winter seasons. Even though Callibaetis
are technically crawling nymphs, they happen to possess strong swimming
ability. Prior to and during emergence, an angler will find these
nymphs darting from weedy cover to hatch. When fishing the Callibaetis hatch, look for darkening wing pads, a sure sign of an impending hatch.
How to Fish Mercer’s Poxyback Callibaetis
Fish
this fly in very slow water; lakes, backwaters, and eddys are prime
real estate for these large burrowing nymphs. Generally, the slower the
water and the weedier the bottom, the more packed with Callibaetis nymphs the environment will be, rendering lakes excellent Callibaetis
water. Note that these nymphs will dart about prior to and during
emergence, so when fishing this fly pattern in a lake or river
environment, don’t be afraid to “swim” the fly during the presentation.
Gently move the rod tip up and down or feed line back and forward
through the guides with your stripping hand. Always be sure to cast far
enough upstream to allow your Callibaetis nymph time to sink; this species almost always inhabits lower portions of the water column. When Callibaetis
make themselves available during mornings or evenings, trout prey on
them hungrily and voraciously, so don’t be surprised when you feel an
aggressive take – set the hook confidently!
Callibaetis
Callibaetis
are relatively small mayflies that occur in the famous trout waters of
the North American West. In this storied fly fishing region, these
insects are widely distributed throughout rivers and lakes, and this
broad distribution makes the species and important staple of a western
trout’s diet. During the larval stage, Callibaetis spend the balance of their time in the weedy shelter of slow moving water provided by rivers, spring creeks, and lakes. Callibaetis
follows the life stages of a typical mayfly life cycle and hatches
across the western United States from spring (April) to mid-fall
(October).
Callibaetis Nymph Life Stage
During
its nymph life stage, these crawlers are most commonly found in the
slow water environments of lakes. In river systems, these
small-to-medium sized nymphs call low energy backwaters, eddys, and the
gentle currents of vegetation-rich spring creeks home. Callibaetis
nymphs thrive among the weedy vegetation of these slow and languid
aquatic environments, and these nymphs are most vulnerable to trout
when they leave their weedy shelter to hatch into winged adult duns.
Their swimming ability is relatively strong and these nymphs expose
themselves by making adventurous trips away from safety just before
emergence and subsequent hatching. Callibaetis
is an important hatch on many rivers and lakes. These nymphs are
available to trout throughout the Western United States from spring
(April), through late summer, and into the fall season (October). When
temperatures are warm, these nymphs are most active during mid-morning
hours. During the milder months, an angler will find Callibaetis activity later in the afternoon. These olive green or light tan nymphs are easily distinguishable from other members of the Baetidae family by their possession of three dark-colored tails of nearly identical length.
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.”