The Lure of Blue-Winged Olives

August 19, 2006 By: Marshall Cutchin

Why are blue-winged olives such a favorite of trout everywhere? In part because they are typically abundant, and in because they belong to the “swimmers” group of mayflies, making them more available to hungry trout than “crawlers,” “clingers,” or “burrowers.” Ken Allen talks about why the BWO deserves distinction and about some of the most effective and classic tactics for imitating them. “Fly fishers cast the Pheasant Tail quartering across and downstream, let the submerged fly swing on a tight line and retrieve it by rolling the line over the fingers, which inches the fly along. This simulates the swimming nymph and can keep a rod bent all day long.” On MaineToday.com.