Blue Wing Olive · Dry fly
A blue sail lifting off olive water
A size 16 olive mayfly dry fly with a black-ribbed body and blue dun wing, for trout rising to small olive duns.
An olive mayfly dry fly sits in the vise above a clear, stony river, its fan wing raised high. The olive body carries crisp black thread ribs, a blue dun wing and long grey microfibbet tails.
- Pattern
- Blue Wing Olive
- Imitates
- Baetis mayfly hatch
- When
- typically spring and autumn afternoons, often heaviest on grey, drizzly days
- Hook
- size 16
- Tippet
- 5Xrule of three
- Size 16 dry fly hook
- Black thread rib segments the olive body
- Blue dun wing rides tall and visible
- Split grey microfibbet tails
On the water
Olive body, banded in neat black stripes. A tall fan of blue dun fibers stands over the thorax, and fine grey tails reach far past the bend. Behind it, a shallow river runs green and brown over stones.
Fish it on the soft seams below riffles and along slow glides when small olives start drifting. Cast a few feet above the rise, mend once, and let it ride drag-free. No twitches, just a clean float.
Black thread rib is the detail to get right. Keep the turns evenly spaced and snug so each olive segment reads clearly, the way a real mayfly abdomen does on the water.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 5Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Rig on 9 to 12 ft leader tapered to 5X or 6X tippet.
- Dress the wing and tails lightly with floatant; keep the body clean.
- Aim for a dead drift; a reach cast helps on smooth, slow currents.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Baetis mayfly hatchtypically spring and autumn afternoons, often heaviest on grey, drizzly days
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Riffle tails, slow glides and flats on freestone rivers and spring creeks
- Also fishes
- Also fishes calm stillwater edges during olive hatches and slow tailouts on overcast evenings.
Make it yourself
Intermediate5 materials · 10 steps
- Pattern
- Blue Wing Olive
- Style
- Dry fly
- Hook
- Dry fly hooksize 16
- Thread
- Olive 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- TailGrey microfibbets
- RibBlack 8/0 thread
- BodyOlive dubbing
- WingBlue dun hackle fibers
- ThoraxOlive dubbing
Details
- Imitates
- Blue-winged olive mayfly dun
- Colors
- Olive, Black, Blue dun, Silver grey
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (10)
- Mount the hook and start the olive thread behind the eye, laying a thin base back to the bend.
- Tie in two or three grey microfibbets on each side of the bend, splayed apart.
- Tie in the black thread rib at the bend and leave it hanging.
- Dub a slim, tapered olive body over the rear two-thirds of the shank.
- Wrap the black rib forward in five or six even, open turns and tie it off.
- Even the tips of a clump of blue dun hackle fibers and tie them in at the two-thirds point, tips forward.
- Lift the wing upright and build a small thread dam in front to hold it there.
- Spread the wing fibers into a gentle fan with your thumbnail.
- Dub a slightly fuller olive thorax around the wing base and up to the eye.
- Form a small, neat head and whip finish.
Proportions (4)
- Tails: about one and a half times the hook shank length, split wide.
- Wing: roughly one shank length tall, standing straight up.
- Body: rear two-thirds of the shank, thin and tapered.
- Thorax: front third, a touch thicker than the body.
Tips (3)
- Use very little dubbing for the body; a thin taper floats better and shows the ribs.
- Measure the wing against the shank before tying it in so every fly matches.
- A tiny ball of dubbing at the bend helps keep the tails split.
Common mistakes (3)
- Wing leaning back: build a firm thread dam in front before dubbing the thorax.
- Uneven rib spacing: count the turns and keep the gaps the same width.
- Crowded eye: stop the thorax short to leave room for the head and whip finish.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 16 · Materials only · 12 flies
$38.60
$3.22 a fly
Includes Dry fly hook · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Olive 8/0 thread$2.95
- Black 8/0 thread$3.25
Materials
- Grey microfibbets$3.50
- Olive dubbing$4.50
- Blue dun hackle fibers$11.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 48 flies
$62.75
$1.31 a fly
Bought separately $66.05 · you save $3.30
Includes Dry fly hook · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Olive 8/0 thread$2.95
- Black 8/0 thread$3.25
Materials
- Grey microfibbets$3.50
- Olive dubbing$13.50
- Blue dun hackle fibers$23.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 144 flies
$156.42
$1.09 a fly
Bought separately $177.75 · you save $21.33
Includes Dry fly hook · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Olive 8/0 thread$8.85
- Black 8/0 thread$9.75
Materials
- Grey microfibbets$10.50
- Olive dubbing$36
- Blue dun hackle fibers$71.70
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$188.60
$15.72 a fly
Includes Dry fly hook · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Olive 8/0 thread$2.95
- Black 8/0 thread$3.25
Materials
- Grey microfibbets$3.50
- Olive dubbing$4.50
- Blue dun hackle fibers$11.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$205.25
$4.28 a fly
Bought separately $216.05 · you save $10.80
Includes Dry fly hook · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Olive 8/0 thread$2.95
- Black 8/0 thread$3.25
Materials
- Grey microfibbets$3.50
- Olive dubbing$13.50
- Blue dun hackle fibers$23.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$288.42
$2 a fly
Bought separately $327.75 · you save $39.33
Includes Dry fly hook · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Olive 8/0 thread$8.85
- Black 8/0 thread$9.75
Materials
- Grey microfibbets$10.50
- Olive dubbing$36
- Blue dun hackle fibers$71.70
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
How it was made
2 iterations led here; the saved one is marked
1
2 Saved
Remixes
Remixed from
- Spring Olive Mayfly Dry Flyyou are here
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
“add a black thread line behind the each wrap of the tensil body”
fly pattern · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- blue wing olive
- bwo
- mayfly
- dry fly
- olive
- baetis
- trout
- microfibbet tails
- dun
- size 16