Light Blue Duns

Eastern anglers used to know these important mayflies by the storied name of Baetis vagans. The much larger and late Fall hatching Baetis tricaudatus is considered an important Western species with its own tradition, but entomologists recently determined that they are both in fact the same species. The scientific conventions guiding entomologists do not account for a name's regional fame among fishermen, and new or obscure species names may replace their old favorites. Sometimes taxa with disparate traditions are combined. Baetis vagans is one such casualty.

Fortunately, trout think like Shakespeare: A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. The rose that was vagans has lost none of its charm.