Umpqua Mercer's Flushfloater Stone Salmonfly Dry Fly

Overview

The Flushfloater Stone is a Mike Mercer stonefly dry, built in collaboration with Umpqua for the salmonfly and golden stone hatches. This is the Salmonfly color, made for one of the most exciting hatches on Western rivers, when big trout lose their caution and eat giant bugs off the surface.

Most foam stoneflies sit high on top of the water. The Flushfloater is designed to ride low, flush in the film, the way a real salmonfly lands and struggles. A wide-spread wing puts fibers in contact with the surface, an oversized hook helps it sit down in the film, and short, stubby rubber legs create small movements on or just under the surface. A hi-vis wing keeps it easy to track, and macramé yarn adds buoyancy so it keeps floating in rough water.

How to Fish It

• Bank shots: salmonflies live in streamside willows and grass, so cast tight to the bank and let the fly drift along the edge.
• Splat it down: a firm landing imitates a clumsy stonefly hitting the water and often draws an immediate strike.
• Twitch: a small twitch now and then makes the legs move and can trigger a fish that is following.
• Dry-dropper: it floats well enough to carry a stonefly nymph on 2X or 3X tippet off the bend.
• Timing: the salmonfly hatch moves upstream on many Western rivers in late spring and early summer; fish the leading edge of the hatch.

Choosing Color and Size

Size 4 matches the largest salmonflies at the peak of the hatch and is the most visible on rough water. Size 6 is a good choice once fish have seen a lot of big flies, or for smaller females and late in the hatch.