What Fish Eat

Aquatic insects make up the majority of a fish's diet. The four key insect orders (listed first and not including Streamers or Terrestrials) that emerge from streams and lakes are:

 

Mayflies Important to Fly Fishing

When fly fishing in the Western U.S., the angler can typically rely on three species to pattern mayflies. These commonly used mayfly patterns are:

 

Blue Wing Olive Mayflies - Baetis

Blue wing olive or baetis are swimmer mayflies and inhabit quick moving rivers and streams. Baetis nymphs have three long, narrow tails with the middle tail slightly shorter than the outer two. Baetis are capable of two complete life cycles in a single year. There hatches will be typically be the first (e.g., January) and the last of the year.

Blue Wing Olive Nymph Imitation

Pattern Name Color Hook Size Thumbnail Image
Flash Back Hare's Ear Nymph Tan Body # 16
Flash Back Hare's Ear Nymph
Hare's Ear Nymph Tan, Brown Body # 16
Hare's Ear Nymph
Pheasant Tail Nymph Green Body # 20
Pheasant Tail Nymph

Blue Wing Olive Emerger

Pattern Name Color Hook Size Thumbnail Image
Blue Wing Olive Epoxy Emerger Olive Body # 18
Blue Wing Olive Epoxy Emerger
Blue Wing Olive, CDC Cripple Olive Body # 18
Blue Wing Olive, CDC Cripple

Blue Wing Olive Dunn

Pattern Name Color Hook Size Thumbnail Image
Blue Wing Olive Olive Body # 18
Blue Wing Olive
Blue Wing Olive, Parachute Olive Body # 18
Blue Wing Olive, Parachute

Blue Wing Olive Spinner

Pattern Name Color Hook Size Thumbnail Image
Rusty Spinner Rust Orange Body # 18
Rusty Spinner
Poly Wing Mayfly Spinner Olive Body # 20 photo coming soon

Photo of October Caddisfly by P. Michael Carl © The Ecological Angler