best baetis

[Larry L]

Time to start tying for next years plans

what is YOUR most successful baetis "olive" pattern(s) .... think I'll start
with a couple dozen each of 4 or 5 patterns for these early hatches

links, recipes appreciated .... sometimes having something "just a little
different" from the more common patterns can make a big difference with
heavily fished for trout

[Willi]

Larry L wrote:

> Time to start tying for next years plans
>
> what is YOUR most successful baetis "olive" pattern(s) .... think I'll start
> with a couple dozen each of 4 or 5 patterns for these early hatches
>
> links, recipes appreciated .... sometimes having something "just a little
> different" from the more common patterns can make a big difference with
> heavily fished for trout
>
>

BWO's are the only hatch that I carry a range of different patterns.
There are several reasons for this:

In my part of Colorado it is the most consistent hatch and is around for
an extended period of time both early and late in the season

The fish start out easy and can get real tough after the hatch has been
going on for a period of time

There are a number of different insects that make up the Olive hatches

And like you said, sometimes something just a bit different is needed


Every year I come up with something new for the hatches and seem to have
a new "favorite."


My standbys:

nymphs small pheasant tails and RS2's

Emergers a variety of soft hackles and CDC emergers

Dries CDC comparaduns, CDC parachutes, Adams/Adams parachute, Snow Shoe
Hares, standard parachutes, a hackled fly with no wing - some tyed under
hackled - some standard and some over hackled


Before I started using Frog's Fanny, I only used CDC flies for the tough
fish because they usually don't last for more than one fish without
drying. Now I use them the most.

In terms of body color, I tye them mostly in gray blends. I find that
gray is the primary color with just a hint of olive. IMO, most
commercial patterns are too green for our local hatches. For bodies I
use dubbing, dyed hackle quill, dyed moose mane, and just thread for the
tiny ones. Especially since they're such a small fly, I'm careful with
the tailing. I generally use Filabets and usually spend the extra time
to spread the tails using thread. The exception is on the plain hackled
flies. On those I still use filabits but don't spread them because I
want them to have some motion on the surface.


Willi

[Larry L]

I've heard lots of exciting olive tales from your neck of the woods.

I plan early ( April ) fishing in Montana this year specifically to fish
this hatch. Of course, I have fished it many times and places, but never
when they were THE bug. Example, baetis will often be hatching and being
taken on the Fork but "usually" by the time I'm there so are PMD's and it's
actually rare for fish to be so "story book" selective that you can't take
one seen to eat a baetis with a larger PMD

I usually carry small gray sparkle duns ( I agree with you on color, I use
"olive dun" thread and gray dubbing ... just a hint of green ), a Quigley
cripple like CDC tie and PT nymphs for times when baetis are about. But, as
I said, I'm expecting to get more serious about the hatch this spring and
I'm expecting/ hoping the fish I plan to talk to about baetis have
discriminating taste

[Lat705]

Try the Heathen. Go to the larvalace.com site for the pattern. I tie it with
a pearl Krystalflash base and translucent pinkish tan LarvaLace. Fine mono
thread seems to give a nice affect also.

Lou T