The QB Baetis is one of the few patterns we offer that truly “matches the hatch”. These small mayflies are prevalent in every water system, though in Colorado they’re most often seen in the winter when fishing highly technical tailwaters. The most common is the Blue Wing Olive, and the QB Baetis in olive is a near perfect analog. The “QB” in the pattern's name is short for the quill body that gives the fly a natural-looking, segmented body. Coating the quill in UV resin provides extra durability and creates a slim profile that helps the fly sink quickly.

With over 150 species of Baetis around the world, you could fill multiple fly boxes with hyper-specific imitations but having a good supply of sizes and colors of the QB Baetis will have you covered when these delicate bugs hatch late morning through early afternoon throughout the year.

Our favorite ways to fish it: 

• As the top nymph with a smaller weighted or unweighted natural imitation below, or as the bottom nymph below a larger weighted nymph

• During a hatch, fishing the QB Baetis below a dry fly that imitates a small mayfly—like a Parachute Adames—gives you the opportunity to fool fish with the emerger and adult version of the same insect.

Type of Water: Rivers & Creeks Stillwater & High Alpine Lakes 

Imitates: Mayfly 

Target Species: Brown Trout Rainbow Trout 

Insect Life Stage: Emerger

Pair it with: Hotwire CDC Pheasant Tail, Purple Reign, Opal Annelid, Crackleback Midge, Simple Soft Hackle Emerger