Why I Always Carry Stalcup's Baetis in My Fly Box
I'll reach for a stalcup's baetis whenever the trout start getting picky during a BWO hatch, which seems to happen more often than not these days. You know that feeling when you're standing in a cold stream, the sky is a flat, miserable gray, and you see those tiny little sailboats drifting down the current? You think it's going to be easy. You tie on a standard parachute or a sparkle dun, and the fish just refuse. They rise an inch below your fly, give it a sniff, and then turn away like you've insulted their intelligence. That's usually when I realize I've been playing it too safe and it's time to dig into the corner of the box for something a bit more refined. ...