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
Isonychia is a
fantastically shaggy imitation of the
Isonychia 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
- Isonychia imitation in the mature nymph life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Hatches occur from spring (March) to late fall (October)
- Nymphs are very active throughout the day, making this nymph a fantastic searching pattern when the current hatch is unknown
- Vary your presentation styles as these nymphs are quite mobile and could be anywhere within the river environment
- Fish on a dead drift in medium to fast water
- Use a high stick nymphing technique through really fast riffles
- Just prior to a hatch, swim this fly through slower water and shallow, protected areas
- When targeting fish during a prolific hatch, cast upstream and aim for specific rises
- Strikes are quick so be prepared to set the hook quickly
- SIZE 14
When and Where to Fish Mercer’s Poxyback Isonychia
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 all types of water throughout
the day – these strong swimmers are extremely active and can easily be
found throughout the various types of water a trout angler will
encounter. Isonychia use their large front legs and three prominent
tails to propel their sleek bodies through the water, so don’t be
afraid to swim your fly through fast currents and back to slack water
and slower eddys. Faster riffles and tailouts will also be productive
water environments for fly anglers presenting Isonychia nymphs to
feeding trout.
How to Fish Mercer’s Poxyback Isonychia
These
aquatic insects are very strong swimmers and aggressive feeders, making
it quite possible to find them just about anywhere in a healthy river’s
ecosystem. Because Isonychia are commonly found in a wide range of
aquatic river environments, an equally wide range of presentations can
yield productive results for fly anglers with one of these nymphs tied
to the end of their leader. Fish this fly on a dead drift through
medium or slow water or swim it through moderately fast riffles. High
stick nymphing techniques through fast water and well-defined current
seams can also be highly effective when fishing with an Isonychia
nymph. It is important to note that Isonychia will often seek out
slower water just prior to their emergence into winged adult duns. When
fishing an Isonychia hatch it’s a good idea to vary your presentation
style as discussed above, but be on the lookout for trout feeding on
emerging nymphs in slower water – if this activity is visible, focus on
these slower, more sheltered areas and target the feeding fish with an
upstream cast and a dead drift presentation directly over the observed
feeding lane. Gently moving the rod tip up and down can imitate the
short, jerky movements these swimmers make while traveling to the
surface to hatch. Because Isonychia are some of the quickest insects in
the water, watch out for accordingly quick strikes from feeding fish;
always be ready to lift the rod tip and set the hook firmly and with
confidence when fishing an Isonychia nymph.
Isonychia
Isonychia
are lengthy, darkly colored mayflies commonly known throughout the
beautiful trout rivers of the northeastern United States as the
“Leadwing Coachman” or “Slate Drake.” The species is famous on trout
rivers in eastern North America for its prolific hatches in all types
of water. During the larval stage, Isonychia thrive in the
well-oxygenated water of medium to fast riffles and current seams. As
nymphs, these mayflies are the strongest swimmers around, aided by
their prominent front legs and three-pronged tails. Isonychia follow
the life stages of a typical mayfly life cycle. Hatches occur from
early on in the spring (March) and continue with regularity during the
summer months of June and July and carry through the end of the fall
(October). Adult Isonychia are frequently imitated by the Hendrickson
or Dark Hendrickson mayfly dun fly patterns and the interchangeable
nature of this nomenclature is common throughout the northeastern
United States.
Isonychia Nymph Life Stage
During
its nymph life stage, these sleek-bodied swimmers are quite literally
everywhere you look. Powered by their efficient front legs and thick
tails, Isonychia nymphs travel freely throughout the many water types
of a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Because their swimming ability is quite
notably developed, these darkly colored nymphs will commonly expose
themselves with their active nature. For the bulk of their time in the
larval stage, Isonychia will thus be effectively fished in a wide
variety of water types. Just prior to hatching, however, these mayfly
nymphs will seek out slower and shallower water, taking advantage of
these quiet and sheltered environments to emerge to winged adults.
Isonychia are important for anglers and trout throughout eastern North
America and nymphs are available to trout through a long period that
begins early in the spring (March) and continues with good regularity
through late fall (October). Hatches can occur from morning to dusk so
it’s a good practice for fly anglers to keep a good stock of these
nymphs at the ready.
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.”