The hatch chart · Mayfly
Pale Watery
Baetis fuscatus
- Natural’s size
- Hook 16–18
- Time of day
- Afternoon and evening
- At its peak
- June, July, August
- Fly to try
- Pale CDC F-Fly, size 16–18
The year
- JJanuary: not expected
- FFebruary: not expected
- MMarch: not expected
- AApril: not expected
- MMay: some about
- JJune: main hatch
- JJuly: main hatch
- AAugust: main hatch
- SSeptember: some about
- OOctober: not expected
- NNovember: not expected
- DDecember: not expected
In the hand
A small, pale fly of 6 mm with two tails, very light grey wings and a watery pale-olive body. The male dun has lemon-yellow eyes. In the air it looks almost white against dark trees.
On the river
A warm-weather fly of clean, weedy rivers. Fish taking pale wateries can be maddeningly particular about size; go smaller before you change pattern.