Poxyback Baetis

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Poxyback Baetis.

Poxyback Baetis | www.johnkreft.com

This is an older fly pattern I found in Randall Kaufmann’s book Tying Nymphs (1994). Kaufmann’s book, along with his Tying Dry Flies, was one of the first color fly tying books I purchased.

Tying Nymphs taught me new techniques, materials, and flies to tie.

The Poxyback fly series were designed by Mike Mercer from Redding, CA and included PMDs, Callibaetis, Green Drakes. A drop of epoxy was used on top of the thorax to simulate one of the “trigger features” that make fish respond to take a natural. Just before hatching, the real bugs develop a shiny, distended wingcase. Mercer determined a drop of epoxy would replicate the wingcase.

This fly was tied on a Tiemco 200 #18 hook. I used UV resin instead of epoxy. It’s much simpler than mixing and waiting for the epoxy to set.

Enjoy…go fish!

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