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.
-
Juju Beatis Flashback
$0.99Original priceOriginal price $0.99 - Original price $0.99Original price$0.99 - $0.99Current price $0.99Tied skinny on a curved nymph hook. Flash, excellent for skinny water, temperamentally challenged fish. Many nymphs develop a shiny back before ...
View full details$0.99Original priceOriginal price $0.99 - Original price $0.99Original price$0.99 - $0.99Current price $0.99Value must be grater than or equal to 1. -
Juju Baetis Tungsten - Umpqua
$3.75Original priceOriginal price $3.75 - Original price $3.75Original price$3.75 - $3.75Current price $3.75One of the most infamous baetis patterns in history. This pattern has been one of the top producers of picky fish across North America. Baetis are ...
View full details$3.75Original priceOriginal price $3.75 - Original price $3.75Original price$3.75 - $3.75Current price $3.75Value must be grater than or equal to 1.
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.