Callibaetis - Cripple

Not all mayflies make it out unscathed — and that’s exactly the point. The Callibaetis - Cripple is a little drama queen of a fly: a crippled/emerging Callibaetis mayfly that screams “easy lunch” to picky trout. Perfect for tailwaters, picky rivers, and anglers with a sense of adventure (and a wicked sense of timing).

For anglers who fish smarter, not louder — AXG Life: Life, Adventure-Ready.

Key Features & Design

• Pattern: Callibaetis (crippled/emerging) — imitates mayflies stuck in the film or still coming off the shuck.
• Target: Designed to entice trout that ignore duns and target easy prey.
• Sizes: Available in #12 through #20 for fine-tuned match-the-hatch accuracy.
• Presentation: Built to ride the surface or film like a real cripple — visible, vulnerable, irresistible.

Performance & Benefits

This fly does the heavy lifting so you don’t have to. Cast it to riffles and tailwaters where bug life is thick and trout get picky — they’ll zero in on the crippled silhouette faster than you can say “drift.”

• Realistic action: Mimics an emerging or crippled Callibaetis on the surface for authentic, confidence-building takes.
• Versatile sizing: Sizes #12–#20 ensure you can match everything from chunky feeders to the most finicky table trout.
• Tailwater specialist: Especially effective where dun activity is heavy and fish prefer easy meals — because trout are lazy geniuses.
• Easy to fish: Suspends and rides the film convincingly, turning stuck weekends into hero stories (or at least one good photo).

Whether you’re dialing in a hatch or testing your skills against suspicious trout, the Callibaetis - Cripple gives you a subtle, deadly presentation with just the right amount of theatricality. AXG Life: Life, Adventure-Ready — and slightly mischievous.

Ready to up your hatch game? Toss a few in your box, make the trout work a little less, and make your campsite stories a lot better. Add to cart and make your next drift look effortless.