BWO Spinner
Fly of the Month
Our second article for 2015 is in two parts, Blue Wing Olive (BWO). Part One will cover the adult stage and Part Two will cover the nymph stage. Recall… “This “fly of the month” represents the latest in the Tim Wilhelm/Tom Adams series, Blue-winged Olives. Positively rheotactic!” says Tim Wilhelm in his article in October 2011.
Well, Tom and I decided to revisit the BWO and provide even more depth and understanding. A primary reason is the success of winter fly fishing on Delayed-Harvest streams too often depends on BWO fly patterns due to the weather. Hold over hatchery raised trout learn quickly that a huge food source on our North Carolina streams are BWOs. With three distinct species available, there is typically a BWO hatch on any given day that is cloudy, overcast, drizzly or even during intermittent rain, especially early in the morning and later in the afternoon. Yes, cloudy rainy days so do not give up and go home on such a dreary day, rather stay a while and try BWO fly patterns.
Blue Wing Olive – Part One – Adults
Blue Winged Olives are typically small flies that hatch in great numbers. They produce up to three broods or generations annually. BWOs are rarely larger than 16 and usually smaller than 18. In the past, BWOs were not very important to most anglers only fly fishing during the warmer spring and fall seasons. Changes in fishing seasons which allow the angler to fish all winter long have made BWOs increasingly important. Terry Hill recently shared his latest adventure on the South Holston River. He encountered one of the thickest BWO hatches he has ever fly fished in on New Year Day 2015!
There are several species of BWOs in the family Baetidae including B. devinctus, B. pygmaeus and B. vagans which are present in most streams in North Carolina. There is also a Fallceon family species, F. quilleri that thrives in streams throughout North America. Having a Latin name pygmaeus or “pigmy” tells you right off that these insects are small, well even tiny! Enough taxonomy, to summarize, the various species and many broods annually of each species assure that BWOs are present in numbers in our streams.
Recall “BWOs are small, the surface of smooth water is a barrier to them, and many are trapped just below the surface or must struggle to break through the water’s surface tension so emerging patterns work well. Both emergers and dry flies worked in slow runs and back eddies will raise fish but don’t forget to fish the foam lines!” says Tim Wilhelm in his article in October 2011.
We will cover emergers below the surface in part two; however, the surface may well have both cripples due to the surface struggle and due to harsh weather conditions as well as a pronounced male spinner fall in the afternoon on days when the weather clears. Recall “…the egg-laying female crawls below the surface to lay eggs…” says Tim Wilhelm in his article in October 2011.
Due to the small sizes is difficult to determine which BWO situation you are encountering Maybe the emerged duns are floating longer on the surface before taking flight which may require the traditional dry fly or a comparadun which floats lower in the surface film. More likely in the morning hours the BWOs on the surface are struggling to take flight and a BWO cripple may be required. In the afternoon hours a BWO spinner can be most effective. Yes, this is advice is applicable on our Delayed-Harvest streams just as much as it is on the South Holston tailrace during the winter months. We provide three (3) additional recipes for dry fly presentations of the Blue Wing Olive. Note, the comparadun recipe and the sparkle dun recipe are the same except for the tail. The comparadun has a split tail and the sparkle dun has a “shuck tail” representing a hatched BWO struggling to escape from the shuck.
Flies of the Month 3.15
BWO Catskill Dry or BWO Traditional Dry (refer to Fly of the Month 10.11)
Blue Wing Olive (BWO) Comparadun
Blue Wing Olive (BWO) Spinner
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker
Our second article for 2015 is in two parts, Blue Wing Olive (BWO). Part One will cover the adult stage and Part Two will cover the nymph stage. Recall… “This “fly of the month” represents the latest in the Tim Wilhelm/Tom Adams series, Blue-winged Olives. Positively rheotactic!” says Tim Wilhelm in his article in October 2011.
Well, Tom and I decided to revisit the BWO and provide even more depth and understanding. A primary reason is the success of winter fly fishing on Delayed-Harvest streams too often depends on BWO fly patterns due to the weather. Hold over hatchery raised trout learn quickly that a huge food source on our North Carolina streams are BWOs. With three distinct species available, there is typically a BWO hatch on any given day that is cloudy, overcast, drizzly or even during intermittent rain, especially early in the morning and later in the afternoon. Yes, cloudy rainy days so do not give up and go home on such a dreary day, rather stay a while and try BWO fly patterns.
Blue Wing Olive – Part One – Adults
Blue Winged Olives are typically small flies that hatch in great numbers. They produce up to three broods or generations annually. BWOs are rarely larger than 16 and usually smaller than 18. In the past, BWOs were not very important to most anglers only fly fishing during the warmer spring and fall seasons. Changes in fishing seasons which allow the angler to fish all winter long have made BWOs increasingly important. Terry Hill recently shared his latest adventure on the South Holston River. He encountered one of the thickest BWO hatches he has ever fly fished in on New Year Day 2015!
There are several species of BWOs in the family Baetidae including B. devinctus, B. pygmaeus and B. vagans which are present in most streams in North Carolina. There is also a Fallceon family species, F. quilleri that thrives in streams throughout North America. Having a Latin name pygmaeus or “pigmy” tells you right off that these insects are small, well even tiny! Enough taxonomy, to summarize, the various species and many broods annually of each species assure that BWOs are present in numbers in our streams.
Recall “BWOs are small, the surface of smooth water is a barrier to them, and many are trapped just below the surface or must struggle to break through the water’s surface tension so emerging patterns work well. Both emergers and dry flies worked in slow runs and back eddies will raise fish but don’t forget to fish the foam lines!” says Tim Wilhelm in his article in October 2011.
We will cover emergers below the surface in part two; however, the surface may well have both cripples due to the surface struggle and due to harsh weather conditions as well as a pronounced male spinner fall in the afternoon on days when the weather clears. Recall “…the egg-laying female crawls below the surface to lay eggs…” says Tim Wilhelm in his article in October 2011.
Due to the small sizes is difficult to determine which BWO situation you are encountering Maybe the emerged duns are floating longer on the surface before taking flight which may require the traditional dry fly or a comparadun which floats lower in the surface film. More likely in the morning hours the BWOs on the surface are struggling to take flight and a BWO cripple may be required. In the afternoon hours a BWO spinner can be most effective. Yes, this is advice is applicable on our Delayed-Harvest streams just as much as it is on the South Holston tailrace during the winter months. We provide three (3) additional recipes for dry fly presentations of the Blue Wing Olive. Note, the comparadun recipe and the sparkle dun recipe are the same except for the tail. The comparadun has a split tail and the sparkle dun has a “shuck tail” representing a hatched BWO struggling to escape from the shuck.
Flies of the Month 3.15
BWO Catskill Dry or BWO Traditional Dry (refer to Fly of the Month 10.11)
Blue Wing Olive (BWO) Comparadun
Blue Wing Olive (BWO) Spinner
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker
BWO Spinner
Recipe :
Hook : Tiemco 100 size 16,18,20,22,24,26
Thread : Uni 8/0 or equivalent Olive Dun
Body : Bicolor thread, BWO stripped quill, olive dyed stripped peacock herl
Wing : Antron or zelon, white
Abdomen : Dry fly dubbing
Tail : Microfibetts, dun
Directions :
Recipe :
Hook : Tiemco 100 size 16,18,20,22,24,26
Thread : Uni 8/0 or equivalent Olive Dun
Body : Bicolor thread, BWO stripped quill, olive dyed stripped peacock herl
Wing : Antron or zelon, white
Abdomen : Dry fly dubbing
Tail : Microfibetts, dun
Directions :
- Debarb and mount in the vise. Tie in thread and advance the ⅓ mark. Let the bobbin hang. Trim a four inch piece of thread from the spool and set aside.
- Select the antron and cut a two inch piece from the spool or card. Depending on the size tied, use all or divide the antron into a smaller bundle by using a bodkin. Tie in the wing trapping the antron on top of the hook with a couple of soft wraps. Make two or three x wraps to bind in the wing and advance the thread to the hook bend.
- Select three microfibets and remove from the bundle keeping the tips aligned. Tie in and advance the thread to just short of the ⅓ mark from the eye. Tail length is about the same as the hook shank. Keep the tailing on top of the hook shank. Finish with the thread at the hook bend. Trim away any extra tailing at the eye and let the bobbin hang.
- Make a loop with the thread piece you saved and going under and around the center tail you will pull it forward on top of the hook and with mild pressure separate and lift the tailing slightly. Tie off the thread and trim away the waste thread. Let the bobbin hang.
- Choose the abdomen material and tie in with thread wraps going forward to the ⅓ mark and let the bobbin hang.
- Wrap the body material forward to the thread and tie off. Cut away any waste and let the bobbin hang.
- Make very fine dubbing noodle on a two inch section of thread and form the thorax by x wrapping at the wings. Finish at the head with a whip finish and cut away the waste.