Egan's Poacher
Imitates: Emerging mayfly and soft-hackle nymph
Quick Reference
- Best Sizes
- #14-18
- Best Season
- Spring through fall
- Best Conditions
- Mayfly hatches, swung wet flies, Euro rigs, tailwaters
- Water Temp
- 45-65°F
- Recommended Tippet
- 5X fluorocarbon or mono
How to Rig It
Fish on a Euro rig, as a dropper, or swung at the end of a dead-drift like a classic wet fly. The soft hackle works on all three.
How to Present It
Dead-drift through riffles and let it swing at the end of the drift. The hackle pulses on the swing and triggers takes from fish that ignored the drift.
Why It Works
It is a mayfly nymph with a built-in emerger trigger — the pheasant tail body looks natural underwater, while the partridge collar moves like legs and wings on a hatching insect.
History
The Poacher is Lance Egan's modern take on the classic soft-hackle nymph, optimized for competition-style fishing where versatility matters as much as imitation.
Pro Tip
Always finish the drift with a slow lift. The Poacher catches a surprising number of fish on the swing right at the end of the drift when the hackle starts to pulse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Poacher a wet fly or a nymph?+
Both. It dead-drifts like a competition nymph but also swings beautifully like a traditional soft-hackle wet fly.
When should I swing the Poacher?+
Anytime mayflies are hatching. The swing imitates an emerging mayfly perfectly and often outproduces the dead-drift during a hatch.
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