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 Rag
Hexagenia is a fantastically shaggy imitation of the
Hexagenia
in its mature nymph life stage. Mercer designed this fly with realism
and movement in mind; it’s got an elongated body, rubber legs, 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
- Hexagenia 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 are obtained just prior to or at dusk when Hexagenia are most active
- Hexagenia can be an important hatch because of their sheer size; strikes are often aggressive
- SIZE 8
When and Where to Fish Mercer’s Poxyback Rag Hexagenia
This
large 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 slow backwaters
and eddys just before dusk – this is the time when Hexagenia nymphs leave the quiet protection of their burrows to hatch into adult duns. When fishing the Hexagenia
hatch, it’s important to note that these nymphs “swim” from the muddy
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 Rag Hexagenia
Fish
this fly in very slow water; backwaters and eddys are prime real estate
for these large burrowing nymphs. Generally, the slower the water and
the muddier the bottom, the more packed with Hexagenia
nymphs the environment will be, making lakes environments classic “Hex
water.” When fishing this fly pattern in a lake or river environment,
don’t be afraid to “swim” the fly during the presentation by gently
moving the rod tip up and down or feeding line back and forward through
the guides with your stripping hand. When Hexagenia
make themselves available through evening feeding or emergence to adult
duns, trout prey on them hungrily and voraciously, so don’t be
surprised when you feel an aggressive take – set the hook!
Hexagenia
Hexagenia,
brown to light yellow in color, are giant mayflies that occur in North
American trout water from the midwest to the northeast. In the west,
these large insects are only locally distributed in thin populations
within the Pacific states of California, Oregon, and Washington. During
the larval stage, Hexagenia create shelter by digging burrows in soft, muddy substrate in slow moving water of rivers and lakes. Hexagenia
follows the life stages of a typical mayfly life cycle and hatches in
the western United States from spring (May) to late summer (August). Hexagenia
in the eastern regions are often referred to as the “Great Leadwinged
Drake” and are most active through the mid-western to the northeastern
United States from June to September. Western species of Hexagenia are often called the “Big Yellow May.”
Hexagenia Nymph Life Stage
During
its nymph life stage, these large burrowers are most commonly found in
the slow water environments of lakes. In river systems, these giant
nymphs call low energy backwaters and eddys home. “Hex” nymphs require
the muddy substrate of these environments to create their protective
burrows. These nymphs only leave the safety of their burrows to feed or
to hatch to 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. The large size of
Hexagenia nymphs makes them quite appealing to trout, and consequently
an important hatch on many rivers and lakes. These nymphs are available
to trout from spring through late summer and are most active in the
evenings.
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.”