Mercer—whose highly original trout patterns have made him one of Umpqua Feather Merchants’ top fly designers—offers fresh and thought-provoking insights to the art of fly tying in Creative Fly Tying, his first book. These concepts are drawn from a lifetime spent on the water fishing and guiding, studying the prey and feeding habits of fish. Mercer shows how to think differently about trout flies; he explains which materials to use and why.

In this book, Mike reveals the evolutions and epiphanies that went into the creation of 12 of his favorite innovative patterns: Gold Bead Poxyback Green Drake Nymph, Copper Bead Micro Z-Wing Caddis, Profile Spinner, Rag Sculpin, Micro Mayfly Nymph, Alaska Lemming, PMD Trigger Nymph, Gold Bead Biot Epoxy Golden Stone Nymph, Sac Fry, Rag Hex Nymph, Zebra Midgeling, Glasstail Caddis Pupa. Very little is left to chance in these deadly flies—they are truly designed, head to tail. Tying sequences are elaborately and exquisitely photographed in super-sharp detail by Ted Fauceglia, America’s foremost macro-photographer of aquatic insects.

Most fly fishers think of tying flies in one of two ways: as a task—work necessary to keep their fly boxes full while saving a few dollars—or as an eternally fascinating extension of their fishing. To creative minds, designing trout flies can be a never-ending puzzle. It's always on their minds, teasing at their thoughts. Northern California's Mike Mercer is a card-carrying, dues-paying member of this group. Fortunate to have fished most of the planet's great fly-fishing destinations in his 40-plus years, Mike brings fresh and thought-provoking insights to the art of fly tying. These concepts are drawn from a lifetime spent on the water fishing and guiding, studying the prey and feeding habits of fish.

Spiral-Hardcover, Full color, 160 pages, in English.