Foul Weather Fly

Come rain, sleet or snow the Blue Winged Olive is ready to go.
If the weather is less than ideal, sometimes far less, you can get into some real good Blue Winged Olive hatches. If your really into fishing hatches these little mayflies can show you a good time when most other insects lay low.

Around our area I'll typically see them in sufficient numbers from February to May and again in September. They are no stranger to cool weather. February and March are winter months around here. There's a good chance you will be fishing in light sleet or snow when the hatch is going. As we all know this can happen in April and May also. If the precipitation is heavy you can stay home. Chances are you will not see them unless the weather lightens up.

Early in the year around February, March and early April you will see plenty of BWO's on the sunny days. They will provide good action along with the midge hatch. As the season progresses and we get into later April and May the cool rainy days will see more BWO activity. During September you'll find them again in all types of weather. The timing all depends on the weather patterns over the course of these months.

Typically a size 18 fly will do well to fool the trout in the spring. On a cool rainy day last week I found them a little smaller, around size 20. Normally I don't see them this size until fall. You always run into something new, which is why there are never any guarantees when fishing.

Dead drifting duns and emergers on the surface are good techniques to hook up. Sometimes the trout require you to give them a twitch. A small nymph subsurface will produce plenty. During early months of the hatch cycle a wet fly swing will produce real well.

Before I wrap this up I should mention a fly called the Tiny Blue Winged Olive. Typical size is around 22 to 26. These things can be smaller than tricos and certainly frustrating to fish for some folks. You'll find plenty of them during the summer months when the larger species are absent.

If the forecast calls for poor weather conditions you may still want to hit the stream. Preparing to keep dry and warm will keep your spirits up. Chances are you'll run into a good BWO hatch and get your fix.