Mayfly Fly Patterns

Mayfly dry fly are arguably the most elegant insects of the fly fishing world. They vary in size and color and are a staple in the trout’s diet. As fly fisherman, mayfly fly patterns frequently fall upon in our fly boxes throughout the year.



Mayfly fly patterns have 2 wings that sit vertical, and have transparency to them and often detailed designs. Adult mayflies are most often fished and easily identified via terrestrial flies. They will have their wings intact and will be floating well on the water. Though the mayfly dry fly spends little time on the water, this stage is the most popular dry flies for fly fishing on most rivers. If you get down to the fishes’ level on the river on a cloudy day, you will see a lot of these on the water and heads popping and slurping them down just as quickly. Mayfly fly hatches can happen anytime of the day, though morning and evening are often the most prolific.



One mayfly fly that stands out among the rest is the all-knowing BWO, or baetis. This mayfly fly pattern can be imitated with various fly selections. The Adams is a very well-known mayfly fly that imitates this mayfly well, amongst many other. These are a very dominant bug in the western states.



The mayfly fly offer year-round dry fly fishing and are located across the world. Some of the most prolific hatches are mayfly dry fly. Baetis will hatch year-round giving mayfly dry fly patterns a necessary place in your box anytime you’re on the water, try a Baetis Zinger or Blue Wing Olive Parachute flies to imitate them. In the spring and summer, you have dozens of different species that hatch. If it weren’t for mayflies, entomology would really be rather simple. Mayflies hatch at all different times of the year, the nymphs can look pretty different from species to species and they vary greatly in size. It’s best to refer to local hatch charts and talk to local fly shops on the rivers you plan to fish to discover what mayfly fly may be hatching at any given time of the year. Always good to have a wide assortment of mayfly fly patterns on hand, meaning size, shape and color. For the mayfly, the sailboat like wings are the key to identifying it’s a mayfly fly. They are delicate, slow flying and beautiful. Though identifying the species from each other can be more of a challenge, mayflies themselves are likely the easiest dry fly to identify. A spinner (dead dry fly like Trico Spinner) will often have the wings laid out to the sides on the water.

Set Descending Direction

147 items

Page
per page
  1. Adams

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  2. Adams Irresistible

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  3. Adams Parachute, Purple

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  4. Adams, Extended Body

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  5. Adams, Female

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  6. Adams, Parachute

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  7. Adams, Parachute Hi Viz

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  8. Adams, Purple

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  9. Adams, Rusty

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  10. Baetis Dun

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  11. Baetis Zinger

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  12. Black Drake, Parachute

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  13. Black Gnat

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  14. Black Gnat, Parachute

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  15. Black Quill

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  16. Blue Dun

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  17. Blue Dun, Parachute

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  18. Blue Quill

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  19. Blue Quill, Parachute

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  20. Blue Wing Olive

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  21. Blue Wing Olive, Duck Wing

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  22. Blue Wing Olive, Parachute

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  23. Brown Drake, Eastern

    Starting at $1.29

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  24. Brown Drake, Western

    Starting at $1.29

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  25. Burnt Wing, Blue Wing Olive

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  26. Burnt Wing, Dark Hendrickson

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  27. Burnt Wing, Green Drake

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  28. Burnt Wing, Light Cahill

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  29. Burnt Wing, Mahogany

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
  30. Burnt Wing, Pale Evening Dun

    Starting at $1.15

    QUICKVIEW / ADD
Set Descending Direction

147 items

Page
per page