Umpqua Mercer's Jiggy PMD Tungsten Jig Nymph Fly

Overview

The Jiggy PMD is a Mike Mercer design, tied by Umpqua, that puts a Pale Morning Dun nymph on a barbless jig hook with a tungsten bead. Mercer is one of Umpqua's best-known signature tyers, and the Jiggy series takes his realistic nymph profiles and builds them for modern nymphing.

PMDs are one of the most important summer mayflies on Western trout streams, and the nymphs get active and drift in good numbers in the days and hours before a hatch. The Jiggy PMD gives trout the slim body and small yellow wing case of a mature PMD nymph, while the tungsten bead gets it down fast. Because the jig hook rides point up, you can bounce it through rocky runs with fewer snags than a standard nymph.

Euro Specs

• Hook: Barbless jig hook, rides point up.
• Role: Both. Use it as the point fly in moderate water or as a dropper under a heavier anchor in fast runs.

How to Fish It

• Euro or tight-line nymphing: fish it on 5X or 6X tippet in a two-fly rig, as the point fly in moderate riffles or the upper fly under a heavier anchor.
• Under an indicator: pair it with a larger stonefly or attractor nymph and set the indicator about one and a half times the water depth.
• Before the hatch: PMD nymphs drift heavily from late morning into early afternoon in summer. Fish it then, before you see duns on the water.
• Lift at the end: let the fly swing up at the end of the drift. A rising nymph imitates a PMD heading for the surface and often draws a take.

Choosing Color and Size

Size 16 matches most PMD nymphs through the heart of the summer hatch. Go to size 14 early in the season, when the nymphs are larger, or when you want a bit more weight in faster water.