The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning
The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning
Quill Gordon, Blue Wing Olive, Hendrickson and 2 others
Easy - 1-3 Min
Coldwater
If you don’t happen to have a few of these materials at your bench, not to worry! Some solid stand in’s exist for this bug that will not steal any of it’s thunder (pun intended).
Tail: Brown Hen Saddle would be good substitute as long as the tail isn’t too bushy.
Body: Large Pearl Flashabou could be a substitution for the tinsel if need be.
Thorax: Some Pheasant Tail or Olive Ice Dub can be a nice touch if you’re out of peacock herl.
Casing: Again, Pearl Flashabou would be a good substitution for the tinsel.
Legs: Brown Hen Saddle will do the trick for the legs too, and again make sure they aren’t too bushy.
As far as variation goes on the Lightning Bug, there are a few notable change ups. The first is to replace the natural Pheasant Tail legs with Rubber Legs or Spanflex. The second is just to play around with wire colors to achieve your desired look.
Do you have high water? Do you have mayflies? If you answered yes to either or both of those question this is a bug you need in your box ASAP. Realistic proportions and mega flash make this fly a hard pass to most fish keying in on mayflies. In the right conditions this fly is a tough one to top. The fish being able to see this fly in the midst of dirty, high, fast water makes it a real winner during runoff.
The Lightning Bug is a superb choice when picking a lead fly for your nymph rig; in fact that is it’s most well suited place in your fly organization. Don’t be afraid to put a larger size of the bug 6 – 8 inches behind a slow stripped or dead drifted streamer. That technique is underrated, and can catch the eyes of very large, aggressive fish.
| Regional Hatch Chart | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Region: West
Blue Wing Olive Sizes: #16 - #24
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Region: Northwest
Blue Wing Olive Sizes: #16 - #24
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Region: East
Blue Wing Olive Sizes: #16 - #24
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Region: Southeast
Blue Wing Olive Sizes: #16 - #24
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Region: Midwest
Blue Wing Olive Sizes: #16 - #24
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| Regional Hatch Chart | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Region: East, Midwest
Hendrickson Sizes: #10 - #16
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| Regional Hatch Chart | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Region: West, East
March Brown Sizes: #10 - #14
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Region: Northwest
March Brown Sizes: #10 - #14
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Region: Midwest
March Brown Sizes: #10 - #14
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| Regional Hatch Chart | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Region: West, Northwest, East, Southeast, Midwest
PMD Sizes: #14 - #20
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| Regional Hatch Chart | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Region: East, Southeast
Quill Gordon Sizes: #12 - #16
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Copyright © 2003 – 2025 MidCurrent LLC, All Rights Reserved.