Fall Baetis Hatch

This is a picture shed larval mayfly exoskeleton. As insects develop they have to go through several molting stages for their growing bodies to be continually protected by a hard exoskeleton. This is not an easy or comfortable process and are very vulnerable especially to predators during molting.

The baetis hatch that occurs in the Fall can provide some of the best dry-fly fishing in southwest Montana. The ideal conditions for these mayfly hatches to occur are during cooler, wet, overcast days. To learn more of what happens in the life development of a mayfly insect when and how the molting stages occur go here. To learn more about the beatis hatch in general go here, to get a better idea about fly-fishing in the MT Fall go here.