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 Gold Bead Head
Green Drake is a fantastically shaggy imitation of the western Green
Drake in its mature nymph life stage with the addition of a weighted
gold bead head. The gold bead head adds flash and profile, making it an
extremely attractive nymph pattern. The extra weight is fantastic for
fishing the really fast runs and deeper pools western Green Drakes call
home!
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
- Western Green Drake imitation in the mature nymph life stage with the addition of a weighted gold bead head for visibility, flash, profile, and extra weight
- This bead head fly pattern is an excellent choice for faster-than-expected water conditions, deeper pools, and water of medium to poor clarity
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Fish on a dead drift in faster water; riffles and faster water are the most productive types
- Match the drift depth with the depth of the water column as these nymphs spend most of their time clinging to rocks, debris, and vegetation
- Best results just prior to and during a hatch
- Nymphs are very active from early morning through mid-afternoon hours
- When targeting fish during a prolific hatch, aim for specific rises
- SIZE 12
When and Where to Fish Mercer’s Gold Bead Head Poxyback Green Drake
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 from early
morning to mid-afternoon – this is the time when Green Drakes are most
active. On western rivers, these strong crawlers use their rather
clumsy swimming skills to reach the surface to hatch into adult duns,
often needing several tries before they make it from the rocky river
bottom to the surface film. Look for western Green Drakes in medium to
fast riffles, current seams, intersections between sheltered cut banks
and faster water; areas with rocks, debris, and thick vegetation are
primed for prolific western Green Drake hatches.
The addition
of a gold bead head makes this fly perfect for areas where the water
column is deeper. It’s also perfect for water that’s just a bit faster
than average. The flashy visibility and larger profile of this bead
head fly pattern also make it an excellent choice for water with
moderate to poor visibility.
How to Fish Mercer’s Gold Bead Head Poxyback Green Drake
Fish
this fly on a dead drift through medium to faster water types; riffles,
current seams, and longer intersections of sheltered areas and deeper
runs are generally very productive. Always be careful to match your
nymphing depth to the depth of the water column when fishing a western
Green Drake fly pattern – these strong-legged crawlers spend the
majority of their time clinging to the larger rocks and debris provided
by their high energy aquatic environments. The western Green Drake is a
very poor swimmer and its successful emergence at the water’s surface
film usually requires several attempts. Subsequently, the western Green
Drake expends a considerable amount of energy during its hatch period;
the trout that feed on these large nymphs do not. When a hatch is in
full swing, be sure to watch the individual rises of feeding trout
closely and aim for a specific fish – during a hatch, the drift is like
a conveyor belt stocked with food and a trout is not likely to move
very far from its holding position to snag another neat little package
of western Green Drake protein.
Fish this bead head fly
pattern with the same techniques employed in the non-bead headed
version. When water conditions are not perfect, pools are deeper than
expected, and currents faster than anticipated, this fly can be the
perfect answer to a non-bead headed western Green Drake pattern.
Green Drake
Drunella
grandis and doddsi are large, olive green to brown mayflies commonly
known as the western Green Drake. The species is famous on trout rivers
in western North America for its prolific hatches in faster, rocky
water. During the larval stage, western Green Drakes thrive in the
well-oxygenated water of medium to fast riffles and current seams.
These crawling mayflies require lots of rocky structure, debris, and
vegetation to remain comfortable in their environment. The western
Green Drake follows the life stages of a typical mayfly life cycle and
hatches during the summer months of June and July with often quite
intense emergences.
There is a species of mayfly found in the
rivers and streams of the northeastern United States that also bears
the name “Green Drake.” These eastern Green Drakes (Ephemera guttulata)
are relatively large burrowing nymphs that are similar in color to the
western Green Drake, but display a lighter tan or white abdomen.
Eastern Green Drake activity has gained a reputation in some eastern
fishing circles as an “epic hatch” but this prolific emergence is
highly localized, rendering the species an important one, but not an
integral one to an eastern fly angler’s overall success. The eastern
Green Drake dun molts to the famous Coffin Fly spinner, a beautiful
mayfly with dark, patterned wings and a bright white body.
Green Drake Nymph Life Stage
During
its nymph life stage, these strong-legged crawlers are commonly found
in medium to fast water types. The most prolific populations tend to
occur in cool, well-oxygenated water; look for them in riffles and
well-defined current seams. These large nymphs love structure, making
rocky river bottoms and areas with lots of debris and vegetation prime
western Green Drake habitat. Because their swimming ability is quite
notably underdeveloped, these olive-brown nymphs will commonly expose
themselves by making several clumsy attempts at emergence and
subsequent hatching. Western Green Drake nymphs are available to trout
through a narrow window from June to the end of July and are most
active from the early morning hours to the middle of the afternoon.
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.”