Creative fly tyer, Mike Mercer, is generally credited with creating the
“Poxyback” style of artificial fly. But Mr. Mercer’s got more than just
epoxy up his sleeve. One of his most popular, but under-the-radar fly
patterns for fishing the early season little brown stonefly hatch in
the western United States has stolen the stage in recent years.
Mercer’s
Little Brown Bug is a fantastic imitation of the common and widespread
Little Brown Stonefly (Nemoura) in its mature nymph life stage. Mercer
designed this fly to complement his other little brown stonefly
patterns. It’s got an iridescent bead head for profile and underwater
flair, a tightly ribbed brown body, and shaggy barred wings and legs.
The natural bend and slim quality of this little fly pattern make it
the perfect early season trout snack on your favorite stretch of
western water!
Specifications:
- This fly pattern was developed by creative fly tyer Mike Mercer for fishing early season little brown stonefly hatches on western rivers and streams
- Little brown stonefly imitation in the mature nymph life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Drift the fly through different water types; faster riffles and shallower water near the banks of a river with moderate to slow currents are the most productive water types for this fly
- Little brown stonefly nymphs aren’t always available to trout in western North America, but early season action can be fantastic
- Most prolific western hatches occur during winter (January) and early spring (May)
- Hatches can occur throughout the daylight hours
- When approaching a shallow water environment with a stonefly nymph, be extremely careful not to spook happily feeding trout
- SIZE 16
When and Where to Fish Mercer’s Little Brown Bug
This
relatively small stonefly 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
riffles, well defined current seams, areas below faster currents, and
near exposed rocky structure and streamside vegetation. Shallow water
near the river bank will also be productive when fishing a little brown
stonefly hatch, so be sure to survey the scene thoroughly. Little brown
stonefly nymphs are rarely available to trout but are sometimes
dislodged from their rocky shelter and caught in the main current.
Anglers will have the best luck during an early season (January – May)
emergence and hatch of winged adults. These small stonefly nymphs are
most commonly found in cool, well-oxygenated water. Little brown
stonefly nymphs built to creep along the river bottom; their strong but
slender legs and bodies allow them to inch along and hide in rocky
structure in some of the strongest currents a river or stream can
offer. These nymphs do not possess strong swimming ability, however,
and can become swept into the main current’s drift – look for these
floating specimens in the main drift as well as shallower, less
energetic water near sheltered areas. Prior to and during emergence, an
angler will easily spot these early season nymphs crawling from the
rocky depths to the shallower water along the river bank and eventually
to the surface of exposed rocks and vegetation to shed their shucks and
hatch into winged adults.
How to Fish Mercer’s Little Brown Bug
Fish
this fly in a variety of water types; because of their common early
season occurrence in western trout water, just about anywhere within a
healthy aquatic ecosystem can be prime real estate for little brown
stonefly nymphs. These nymphs are rarely available to feeding trout as
nymphs because of their keen ability to hide among rocks and debris
littered river bottoms. But despite their strength as crawling or
“creeping” nymphs, little brown stoneflies can sometimes be carried
away by stronger currents where these poor swimmers are unable to fight
the power of the main drift and ride the wave until the energy
decreases and they are deposited back onto the safety of the river
bottom. When these nymphs are caught in the drift, they are quite
vulnerable to feeding trout and will quickly meet their match. A
popular strategy is to fish these patterns on a dead drift right
through the main current – drifting a little brown stonefly nymph
through faster riffles, current seams, and the slower water just below
these areas can yield excellent results. Stonefly nymphs emerge after
crawling to the safety of the shoreline rather than shedding their
nymphal shucks in the water’s surface film like mayflies. This pre- and
during-emergence behavior renders shallower streamside water quite
productive just prior to and during a little brown stonefly emergence
and hatch. Always be sure to cast far enough upstream to allow your
little brown stonefly nymph time to sink; this species spends most of
its life as a nymph, hidden within the structure at the lower portions
of the water column. Little brown stoneflies are rarely available to
trout as nymphs, but for the prepared fly fisher, these small bugs can
be provide for some fantastic early season excitement – little brown
stoneflies are most prevalent during late winter (January) and early
spring (May).
Little Brown Stonefly
Little brown stoneflies are small
stoneflies commonly found in trout water throughout western North
America. These dark brown, slate grey or black crawling nymphs are
widely distributed throughout rivers and streams, and are generally the
first stoneflies to hatch during the year. Despite this broad
distribution and early hatch cycle, little brown stoneflies are rarely
available to trout in their nymph stage. During this sheltered larval
stage, little brown stoneflies spend the balance of their time using
their slender, but strong legs, and low center of gravity to crawl or
“creep” about the rocky bottoms of small to large rivers and spring
creeks with moderate to fast flow rates. As nymphs, little brown
stoneflies display short tails and antennae and can sometimes display
complex patterns along their backs. As winged adults, these insects
take on a rich brown or black color and boast the flat wings common to
all adult stoneflies. The little brown stonefly is clumsy in flight and
follows the life stages of a typical stonefly life cycle. The species
is known throughout the western United States as the “Early Brown
Stone” for its common winter (January) and spring (May) emergence
pattern.
Little Brown Stonefly Nymph Life Stage
During
its nymph life stage, these crawlers are most commonly found hiding in
the rocky structure and vegetation beneath the medium to fast water of
riffles and higher energy current seams. Prior to and during a hatch,
these relatively small nymphs can also be found in low energy
backwaters, eddys, and other shallow streamside environments,
especially as emergence approaches. Little brown stonefly nymphs thrive
among the cool, well-oxygenated water of rocky riffles and are rarely
available to feeding trout during the nymph stage. These nymphs are
most vulnerable to trout when they are either swept up by strong
currents or when they leave their rocky homes to hatch into winged
adults from the safety of the shoreline. Despite their low availability
as nymphs little brown stoneflies are an important early season hatch
on many rivers in western North America, especially during emergence
and as sexually mature females return deposit eggs on the water’s
surface.
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.”