Blue Wing Olive
what kind of fly fishing hatches do BWO's have?
during these last months of fishing season i never know what fly to use because i never run in to a hatch and personally i prefer to use dries its alot more fun to fish them because you can see the take on the fly (i do nymph once and a while)and since the only fly that hatches through these months in my area is the Blue WInged Olive and i was wondering if the BWO's hatch like caddis and only a few come up at a time or are they like most of the other mayflies that they all hatch at once
Caddisflies and mayflies can hatch in great numbers or they can emerge in smaller waves, depending on the species, weather, water conditions, time of year, etc. I've seen hatches so subtle I almost missed them, and I've seen hatches so dense that the fish rarely saw my fly because of so many naturals.
It's important to understand that the Blue Wing Olive pattern does not imitate any one mayfly. Instead it imitates the entire Baetidae family of mayflies. Most mayflies in this family have olive-colored bodies and glassy, bluish wings, so the BWO pattern in various styles and sizes does a great job of imitating them, but the hatching cycle and the hatch size will vary with species and conditions.
It's also important to know that BWO's are more useful fall through spring than in the summer. Depending on where you are, caddisflies are typically a better summertime dry, while mayfly action more often occurs September through May, so I'm not surprised that you haven't seen any big mayfly hatches in the past few months.
The life cycle of most mayflies is basically the same. They live as crawly little larvae down in the rocks, where they feed on algae or tiny plankton or whatever. When it's time to hatch, they develop into pupae, swim free of the bottom and float up. Once at the surface, they split open their pupal shuck, puncture the surface tension, and emerge onto the water as an adult (or dun). The dun spends a short time on the water surface (while its body hardens) and then it flies away to mate. The fertilized females (or spinners) return later, bouncing on the water to lay their eggs. Some of them sit on the surface and some of them actually go into the water to lay.
There are fly patterns that imitate every single stage of the mayfly life cycle, and you should try to fish them all -- you never know what the fish are going to be keyed on. If you are really determined to get some dry mayfly fishing, it's best to go in afternoons and evenings in fall or spring. The duns will typically come out in the afternoon and then there will be a lull while the flies are in the air mating. Spinnerfall usually occurs in the early evening -- it's sort of the classic dry fly scene.
I'm like you -- I like dry fly action more than subsurface fishing, but if your goal is to catch fish, you do yourself a disservice to ignore nymph, emerger, and cripple patterns. These can be much more productive (if less romantic) than constantly fishing a dry BWO. Good luck!
For More Blue Wing Olive Info Click On The Blue Links Below
 1 DZ BWO Blue Wing Olive BWO Dry Fly Assortment in sizes 14 16 18 20 US $5.95 
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 1 DZ Parachute Blue Wing Olive BWO Dry Fly Assortment in sizes 14 16 18 20 US $5.89
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 1 DZ Parachute Blue Wing Olive BWO Dry Fly Assortment in sizes 16 18 20 US $5.89
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 Realistic EXTENDED body BLUE WING OLIVE BWO Mayflies US $7.00
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 Blue Wing Olive size 22 Stuck inn the shuck Dry emerger fly HOT PATTERN US $7.95
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 6 Blue wing Olive Size 20 and 6 hi vis Parachute Bwo Size 18 US $4.00
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 12 Lot 1 dozen Vintage Blue Wing Olive 12 Redfish Fly Fishing Flies NR F44 US $2.98
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 6 Blue Wing Olive BWO CDC Wing Sparkle Duns Emerger Dry Fly szs16 18 20 US $8.99
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 6 Blue Wing Olive BWO Biot CDC Shuck Sparkle Dun Dry Fly sizes16 18 or 20 US $8.99
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 Fishing flies 12 Hi Vi Blue Wing olive size 18 US $5.50
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 Fishing flies 12 Hi Vi Blue Wing olive size 20 US $5.50
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 Fishing flies 12 Hi Vi Blue Wing olive size 22 US $5.50
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 Bluewing Olive Parachute Mayfly 16 1 Dozen Trout Fishing Flies US $6.49
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 1 dozen Blue Wing Olive 16 Nymphs Trout NR US $.01
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 1 dozen Blue Wing Olive 18 Nymphs Trout NR US $.01
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 1 dozen Blue Wing Olive 20 Nymphs Trout NR US $.01
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 1 dozen Blue Wing Olive CDC Emerger Nymphs 18 NR US $.01
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 1 dozen Blue Wing Olive CDC Emerger Nymphs 20 NR US $.01
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 1 dozen Blue Wing Olive CDC Emerger Nymphs 22 NR US $.01
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 1 dozen CDC Blue Wing Olive Emerger 18 Nymphs NR US $.01
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The Herald's Dining Guide: Jan. 14
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