Bowman Baetis & RBF 2 Fur

The Bowman Baetis

This perfectly crafted fly no doubt will fool the smartest trout. Bowman suggests medium dun hen hackle for the wings with medium dun hackle wrapped four times like a Catskill. He makes one turn in front of the wings to hold them tilted back slightly, then two turns behind the wings, with a final wrap in front. Then he skillfully flips the fly over and figure-eights the thread once or twice to draw the hackle up. He ain't done yet. He then dubs the thread and completes a couple more figure-eights.


It's sort of a Catskill Parachute Comparadun Spinner Emerger Dry Fly. This ungodly contraption caused quite the discussion amongst the Pro Staffers on the use of this and similar contraptions for catching trout during a baetis emergence.

The Chief's thoughts on the effectiveness of the various discussed contraptions is slightly diverse. His vast experience, especially while sober, leads him to cast floating nymph-type contraptions to dumb trout feeding on the spring baetis especially when every dumb trout in the stream is rising. The water is typically covered with, yes, floating nymphs. Those little creatures quickly dart to the surface then lay there waiting to be eaten. Thus the RBF 2 Fur. Seems no one mentioned the versatile snowshoe hare foot hair for wings. The Chief ties in a small clump of natural hair by the tips, then clips it short. The abdomen is formed with twisted BRF's Mayfly Brown Zelon. Fur from a brown sheared beaver coat purchased at the American Rescue Workers Thrift Store forms the thorax. Some versions may include a turn or two cream hackle around the base of the snowshoe hare foot hair wing.

The RBF 2 Fur Baetis