The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

Nymph

Blue Wing Olive Quill Nymph

Insect Species Icon Quill Gordon, Blue Wing Olive, Callibaetis and 4 others
Difficulty Icon Medium - 3-5 Min
Water Category Icon Coldwater

Tying Video

Become a Member

Sign up for full access to the Learning Center
and all the FlyBrary Content.
Tying Recipe
  • Hook: Standard Nymph Hook
  • Bead: Brass or Tungsten Bead
  • Thread: UTC 70 Thread
  • Tail: Coq De Leon Fibers
  • Body: Stripped Peacock Quill
  • Dubbing: Squirrel SLF Dubbing
  • Hook: Jig Style Hook
  • Bead: Slotted Tungsten Bead
  • Tail: Partridge Feather Fiber
  • Body: Goose Biot
  • Dubbing: Any Dubbing of Your Choice

This pattern is very similar to a pattern I fish when euro nymphing nearly 90% of the time.  You can mix and match colors and materials from a number of different materials to get a look you like.  They probably are all very close to the same in terms of productivity, but thats not the only reason we tie is it?

Common variations are:

  • Body Variations: Changing body materials to pheasant tail, simple thread wraps.
  • Soft Hackle Variations: Touch dubbing the head to make a bigger collar, using soft hackle feathers of any kind or CDC feathers as well are all great variations
  • Euro Style Variations:  Subbing in a jig style hook with a slotted bead makes it euro

A slim body, small tail and dubbing head on a nymph or jig style hook is the standard for a lot of euro nymphs like the frenchie, tungsten torpedo and more. These are all fast sinking and impressionistic patterns and work incredibly well. The blue wing olive quill nymph is no different.

Fished best down deep on a 2-3 fly nymph rig or as a euro nymph rig, this fly will do great if you can get it to float naturally.  It isn’t a difficult pattern to fish and it’s highly effective.  Get it to the bottom any way you can and you’ll find success.

Blue Wing Olive

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: Northwest
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: East
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: Southeast
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: Midwest
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24

Callibaetis

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Northwest
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: East
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Midwest
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18

Damselfly

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Damselfly
Sizes: #8 - #14
Region: Northwest
Damselfly
Sizes: #8 - #14
Region: East
Damselfly
Sizes: #8 - #14
Region: Southeast
Damselfly
Sizes: #8 - #14
Region: Midwest
Damselfly
Sizes: #8 - #14

Hendrickson

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East, Midwest
Hendrickson
Sizes: #10 - #16

March Brown

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, East
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Northwest
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Midwest
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14

PMD

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest, East, Southeast, Midwest
PMD
Sizes: #14 - #20

Quill Gordon

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East, Southeast
Quill Gordon
Sizes: #12 - #16

Become a Member

Sign up for full access to the Learning Center
and all the FlyBrary Content.