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 Green Drake is
a fantastically shaggy imitation of the western Green Drake 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
- Western Green Drake imitation in the mature nymph life stage
- 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 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, and at
intersections between sheltered cut banks and faster water; areas with
rocks, debris, and thick vegetation are primed for prolific western
Green Drake hatches.
How to Fish Mercer’s 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.
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.”
