Tying Tuesday: Olives and Bunnies

This week’s Tying Tuesday showcases three cool patterns that should be very effective in springtime. First, Paul Johnson ties a cool, buggy blue-winged olive dry fly that’s a mashup of versions created by Charlie Craven and Walter Wiese. It’s got emerger or cripple vibes that make it look vulnerable to wary trout. Next up, Davie McPhail demonstrates how to tie a simple olive nymph, which uses CDC and permanent markers in ways you may not have tried before. (If you’re not good with Scottish accents, you should hit the CC button to follow along.) Finally, Pete Rosenau of Spawn Fly Fish whips up a cool articulated sculpin imitation that’s actually much simpler to tie than it looks, thanks to some innovative materials. The finished fly is very slinky and should push a good amount of water, which is often the secret to drawing strikes.

Thin Tim BWO
Hook: Standard emerger hook, size 16.
Thread: Olive, 8/0 or 70-denier.
Trailing shuck: Mayfly brown Zelon.
Abdomen: Tying thread.
Wing/wingcase/legs: Silver Congo Hair.
Thorax: Blue-winged olive Superfine Dubbing.

Spring Bug
Hook: Czech-nymph hook (here a Fulling Mill 5065), sizes 14-16.
Bead: Gold tungsten, 2.8mm.
Thread: Light Cahill, 8/0 or 70-denier.
Tail: Dyed-olive CDC fibers.
Rib: Clear Uni-Mylar, 1/32-inch, colored brown with a permanent marker.
Abdomen: Hare’s mask dubbing and CDC fibers, blended.
Wing case: Brown Para Post.
Thorax: Hare’s mask dubbing and CDC fibers, blended.
Adhesive: Head cement.
Bead color: Brown permanent marker.
Tools: Permanent marker, dubbing brush.

Bunny Brush Sculpin
Rear Shank: Spawn Articulated Shank, 15mm.
Thread #1: Brown or black, 6/0 140-denier.
Tail: Tan Spawn Polliwog Tail.
Rear Body: Sand Variant MRC Bunny Brush.
Rear Flash: Rootbeer Polar Chenille.
Rear head: Tying thread.
Adhesive #1: Clear Loon Hard Head.
Front Hook: MFC Tactical Jig Hook 7203, size 6.
Bead: Crayfish Brown Spawn Slotted Tungsten Football Bead, 7mm.
Weighted Wire: Lead-free wire, .025.
Thread #2: Camel or brown, 6/0 140-denier.
Connector: Spawn shank, 19mm, eye removed.
Front Body: Sand Variant MRC Bunny Brush.
Front Flash: Rootbeer Polar Chenille.
Front Collar: Sand Dab Sculpin Spawn Dub.
Cement: Loon Hard Head Clear
Tools: Wire-cutting scissors, dubbing brush.