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BWO or Baetis

Blue Wing Olive hatches are one of the most consistent and important mayfly hatches for trout, especially in spring and fall.

Best Flies for the Blue Wing Olive (BWO) Hatch

Best time: Overcast days, late morning to afternoon
Season: Spring and fall (can occur year-round)
Water: Slow to moderate currents, tailwaters, spring creeks
Trout behavior: Selective feeding on small mayflies and emergers

Match your fly to trout behavior—dry flies for surface feeding, emergers for selective fish, and nymphs when trout are feeding below.

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    Atomic Pheasant Tail-Beadhead

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    A pheasant tail imitation of some kind seems to be the go to nymph for many trout fisherman. Imitating a plethora of mayflies pheasant tails tend ...

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    Anatomical PMD/Baetis - Beadhead

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    Skip Morris' solution to highly selective or pressurized trout. These two slender nymphs are often mistaken for each other, fish where either or p...

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    Arnot's Pocket Drone Pink Bead - Tungsten - Fulling Mill (Barbless)

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    Arnot’s Pocket Drone – Pink Bead (Barbless) Baetis & Mayfly Nymph with Hot Orange Butt Arnot’s Pocket Drone – Pink Bead (Barbless) is a...

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Blue Wing Olive (BWO) hatches often bring out selective trout, especially on pressured rivers and tailwaters. Matching size, profile, and presentation is usually the difference between refusals and eats. Most BWO fishing happens in sizes 16–20, with emergers outfishing dries when trout are feeding subtly in the film. Target softer seams, eddies, and slower edges during active hatches.

BWO hatches peak in spring and fall and are strongest during overcast or rainy weather. These mayflies can hatch multiple times a year and often produce longer, more consistent windows than other mayflies.

Trout key in on specific stages of the insect, so adjust your flies as their behavior shifts. Use dries when fish are rising confidently, switch to RS2s or emergers during subtle sips, and downsize if fish are refusing your presentation.

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