Juju Baetis · Nymph
Purple bands catching the last low sun
A size 20 Juju Baetis nymph in purple, white and black on a TMC 2488, for trout feeding on Baetis nymphs in November on the Owyhee River.
The Dusk Purple Juju Baetis Nymph is a slim size 20 mayfly nymph with a banded purple abdomen and a dark, glossy thorax. Purple and white Superhair forms the segments, with mottled brown hen fibres for the tail and legs.
- Pattern
- Juju Baetis
- Imitates
- Blue-winged olive nymphs, typically active on overcast late-fall afternoons
- Hook
- size 20
- Tippet
- 7Xrule of three
- Size 20 on a TMC 2488 hook
- Banded purple and white Superhair abdomen
- Black Thin Skin wing case
- Mottled India hen tail and legs
- A purple take on Craven's Juju Baetis
On the water
Tight purple bands, each split by a thin white line, run up a short abdomen. A black wing case and a dark thorax sit up front, and a few speckled brown hen fibres trail off the bend and splay out as legs. Low gold light sits behind it all.
Fish it small and deep in November on the Owyhee River, when the olives start moving before a hatch. Dead-drift it under an indicator or behind a bigger nymph, and let it swing up at the end of the drift. Local reports out of Boise on idahoangler.com and trroutfitters.com keep naming the Juju Baetis, purple included, so this variant swaps Charlie Craven's dark original, shown on charliesflybox.com, for that purple.
Superhair wraps are the whole fly. Keep the strands flat and side by side as you wind them so the purple and white lie in clean, even bands with no twist.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 7Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, with fluorocarbon tippet to get it down
- Run it on 6X fluorocarbon as a dropper 40 to 50 cm behind a heavier nymph.
- Add split shot until it ticks bottom now and then, then take one off.
- Let the drift finish with a slow lift; olive nymphs rise before they hatch.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Blue-winged olive nymphs, typically active on overcast late-fall afternoons
- Target
- brown trout, rainbow trout
- Water type
- Tailwater riffles, soft seams and slow runs
- Also fishes
- Any tailwater or spring creek with winter olives, and as a small dropper during midge activity on cold, clear days.
Make it yourself
Intermediate7 materials · 12 steps
- Pattern
- Juju Baetis
- Style
- Nymph
- Hook
- TMC 2488size 20
- Thread
- white 14/0 Veevus
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- Tailmottled brown India hen saddle fibres
- Bodypurple Superhair with one white strand
- Threadblack 14/0 Veevus
- Wingblack Thin Skin
- Thoraxblack Superfine dubbing
- Hacklemottled brown India hen saddle fibres
- Headblack 14/0 Veevus
Details
- Imitates
- Blue-winged olive (Baetis) nymph
- Colors
- purple, white, black, mottled brown
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (12)
- Mount the TMC 2488 size 20 and start white 14/0 Veevus behind the eye, laying a thin, flat base back to the bend.
- Tie in six to eight mottled brown India hen saddle fibres at the bend for a tail about half the shank long.
- Lay the purple Superhair strands and one white strand along the top of the shank and bind them down to the bend with smooth wraps.
- Bring the thread forward to two thirds of the shank to keep the underbody slim and even.
- Wind the Superhair strands forward together, flat and side by side, forming tight bands up to the thread.
- Tie off the strands, trim them close, and whip finish the white thread.
- Start black 14/0 Veevus at the front of the abdomen.
- Tie in a narrow strip of black Thin Skin on top, pointing back over the abdomen.
- Dub a small, tapered thorax of black Superfine dubbing, leaving room behind the eye.
- Tie in three or four India hen fibres on each side so the legs reach the hook point.
- Pull the Thin Skin forward over the thorax, tie it down behind the eye and trim.
- Build a small, neat black thread head and whip finish.
Proportions (4)
- Tail: about half the shank length.
- Abdomen: the rear two thirds of the shank.
- Thorax and wing case: the front third, slightly wider than the abdomen.
- Legs: tips reach the hook point, no further.
Tips (4)
- Smooth the underbody first; any bump shows through the Superhair bands.
- Use a dubbing loop of only a pinch of Superfine; a size 20 thorax needs very little.
- Keep the white strand on the same side each wrap so the white line stays crisp.
- Leave two eye-widths of bare shank behind the eye for the wing case tie-down and head.
Common mistakes (4)
- Twisted Superhair strands blur the bands; untwist them between wraps.
- Too many tail fibres makes it look like a stonefly; six to eight is plenty.
- An oversized thorax crowds the eye; dub thin and check before tying in legs.
- Pulling Thin Skin too hard tears it; ease it forward with even pressure.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 20 · Materials only · 12 flies
$43.80
$3.65 a fly
Includes TMC 2488 · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Hooks & beads
- TMC 2488$6.50
Thread & wire
- White 14/0 Veevus thread$2.95
- Black 14/0 Veevus thread$2.95
Materials
- Mottled brown India hen saddle fibres$11.95
- Other material: Purple Superhair with one white strand$4.50
- Other material: Black Thin Skin$4.50
- Black Superfine dubbing$4.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · Materials only · 48 flies
$97.47
$2.03 a fly
Bought separately $102.60 · you save $5.13
Includes TMC 2488 · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Hooks & beads
- TMC 2488$13
Thread & wire
- White 14/0 Veevus thread$2.95
- Black 14/0 Veevus thread$5.90
Materials
- Mottled brown India hen saddle fibres$47.80
- Other material: Purple Superhair with one white strand$9
- Other material: Black Thin Skin$9
- Black Superfine dubbing$9
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · Materials only · 144 flies
$241.03
$1.67 a fly
Bought separately $273.90 · you save $32.87
Includes TMC 2488 · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Hooks & beads
- TMC 2488$35
Thread & wire
- White 14/0 Veevus thread$8.85
- Black 14/0 Veevus thread$17.70
Materials
- Mottled brown India hen saddle fibres$143.40
- Other material: Purple Superhair with one white strand$22.50
- Other material: Black Thin Skin$22.50
- Black Superfine dubbing$18
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 20 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$193.80
$16.15 a fly
Includes TMC 2488 · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 18 items
Hooks & beads
- TMC 2488$6.50
Thread & wire
- White 14/0 Veevus thread$2.95
- Black 14/0 Veevus thread$2.95
Materials
- Mottled brown India hen saddle fibres$11.95
- Other material: Purple Superhair with one white strand$4.50
- Other material: Black Thin Skin$4.50
- Black Superfine dubbing$4.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$239.97
$5 a fly
Bought separately $252.60 · you save $12.63
Includes TMC 2488 · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 18 items
Hooks & beads
- TMC 2488$13
Thread & wire
- White 14/0 Veevus thread$2.95
- Black 14/0 Veevus thread$5.90
Materials
- Mottled brown India hen saddle fibres$47.80
- Other material: Purple Superhair with one white strand$9
- Other material: Black Thin Skin$9
- Black Superfine dubbing$9
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$373.03
$2.59 a fly
Bought separately $423.90 · you save $50.87
Includes TMC 2488 · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 18 items
Hooks & beads
- TMC 2488$35
Thread & wire
- White 14/0 Veevus thread$8.85
- Black 14/0 Veevus thread$17.70
Materials
- Mottled brown India hen saddle fibres$143.40
- Other material: Purple Superhair with one white strand$22.50
- Other material: Black Thin Skin$22.50
- Black Superfine dubbing$18
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
How it was made
1 iteration led here; the saved one is marked
1 Saved
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
“a fly tied for Owyhee River, Oregon”
fly pattern · made
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- juju baetis
- baetis nymph
- blue-winged olive
- bwo
- purple nymph
- mayfly nymph
- superhair
- size 20
- november
- tailwater
- trout nymph