Blue Winged Olive Fly

Blue Winged Olive

A popular dry and wet fly pattern known for its effectiveness in luring trout with its natural appearance, resembling the mayfly.

How it's tied

The Blue Winged Olive fly is crafted using a short or medium shank hook. The body is formed with olive dubbing or thread, which is wrapped around the hook shank to achieve a slender, tapered shape. The tail consists of a few strands of hackle fibers or microfibbets.

A distinguishing feature of the Blue Winged Olive fly, the wing is created from upright and divided materials such as synthetic fibers, mallard flank feathers, or CDC feathers, giving the fly a realistic look in the water. A grizzly or dun-colored hackle is wrapped around the thorax, creating a bushy collar that helps the fly float and mimic the natural legs of the mayfly.

What it mimics

The Blue Winged Olive fly is designed to imitate the adult stage of the Baetis mayfly, a common and crucial food source for trout and other fish species throughout the year. Its natural profile, carefully crafted wings, and lifelike hackle make it an effective and appealing pattern for targeting fish that feed on these surface insects, especially during hatch periods.

Where it's used

The Blue Winged Olive fly can be employed in a variety of water types, such as rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. It is particularly potent when targeting trout and other fish species that feed on adult mayflies, especially during the Baetis hatch. To fish the Blue Winged Olive fly effectively, the most important thing is to match that hatch. If the Mayfly is around, the fish will take! Simply dead drift the fly.

Fly tying video for the Blue Winged Olive

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Variations

Blue Winged Olive Blue Winged Olive Blue Winged Olive

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Fish you can can fly fish for with the Blue Winged Olive

Brook trout

Brown Trout

Cutthroat Trout

Golden Trout

Grayling

Marble Trout

Rainbow Trout

Steelhead

Mayflies (Latin: Ephemeroptera)

The Blue Winged Olive mimics one or more species from the insect order Mayflies

Latin: Ephemeroptera

Mayflies are aquatic insects known for their short adult lives, ephemeral presence, and importance to aquatic ecosystems.

Read more about Mayflies

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