Best Callibaetis Fly Patterns
Parachute Adams
Very few flies work as well as the Parachute Adams, and the callibaetis hatch is no exception. When choosing your Parachute Adams (or tying them) for the callibaetis hatch, choose the thinnest bodies flies you can find. Sparse hackle doesn’t hurt either. The callibaetis is a very thin, sparse insect, your fly should resemble that.
Fly Tying Material List
- Hook: Standard Dry Fly Hook size 12-16
- Thread: Gray 6/0 Danville
- Post: White Calf Tail or Body Hair
- Tail: Elk Mane
- Body: Muskrat Gray Dubbing
- Hackle: Mixed Brown and Grizzly
Lex Get Er Dun May
The first thing you notice about the Callibaetis is how thin the body is. The Lex’s Get ‘Er Dun Mayfly Gray mimics the thinness of the body extremely well. The sparse dressing provides an excellent silhouette on the water.
Fly Tying Material List
- Hook: Fulling Mills 5050 Size 12-16
- Wing: White Turkey Flat
- Tail: Sparse Pale Watery Dun Hackle
- Abdomen: Gray Quill
- Thorax: Gary Dubbing, sparse
- Hackle: Grizzly, sparse
SR Bullet Quill
The Bullet Style fly, or Perdigon, is such a useful fly. They sink extremely rapidly, are very sparse and get to where the fish are. As the callibaetis nymphs hover over the weedbeds prior to hatching, the SR Bullet under an indicator will bob up and down in a very lifelike manner. With so many dries available, the nymph is still the favored option by most trout, as it’s easier and more comfortable for the trout to feed upon. Blanket emergence can take the focus off a nymph, just know the trout haven’t lost their focus.
Fly Tying Material List
- Hook: Fulling Mill FM50 45 Size 12-16
- Thread: Black 3/0 Uni
- Tail: Medium Pardo Coq de Leon
- Abdomen: Stripped Peacock Quill
- Wing Case: Pearlescent Tinsel
- Thorax: Black Thread
- Coat entire fly with UV Resin or Epoxy
Wiese’s Purple Phase
This versatile fly is a great choice for the Callibaetis hatch. The small profile of the body perfectly matches the thin profile of the natural. The versatility comes from the foam underwing, which allows this fly to be fished in more than one way. You can apply floatant to the entire fly and it will stay on the surface. Or, you can apply floatant to the wing only, which allows the rear of the fly to sink a bit, imitating an emerger or a cripple. This fly covers a lot of bases when it comes to hatch matching, and is well worth having in your Stillwater arsenal.
Fly Tying Material List
- Hook: Standard Dry Fly Size 12-16
- Thread: Purple 6/0 Danville Thread
- Tail: Brown Antron
- Body: Purple Body Wrap
- Underwing: 2mm Gray Foam folded over
- Wing: Orange Parachute Post
- Hackle: Medium Dun, cut flat along the bottom
