Favorite BWO Emerger Pattern

[gutcutter]

 

[acesedgley]

thanks dietz.
I'll have to ask Mr. Collins about that claim of his sometime.

 

[SteveG]

"BWO" is often just common terminology for any small mayfly that ranges in color from grey, olive, brown, green, etc. Baetis often get lumped under that umbrella.

The species grouped as BWOs comprise different emergence activity, and I, and likely some >90% of fisherman are not trained entomologists. So, I carry anything from unweighted pt nymphs, soft hackles, wd-40s, f-flies, mole fly, comparaduns, parachutes, etc. I worry more about where/how the fish are feeding in the water column, and select a pattern that will best suit the situation.

 

[ebroesicke]

I'm not expert on bugs, emergence or anything in general, and agree with the above statement that when we say BWO, there is a good chance we aren't all discussing the same bug.

FWIW, I was once told about and have observed for myself, "olives" fully hatched under submerged rocks.

 

[Jsnyder7]

Stripped peacock herl body, CDC puff for the wing, light dubbing around the thorax. Size 18 to 24. Simple and deadly. I'd guess it is taken both as a dun and as an emerger. That peacock herl has a lot of brown/green colors in it. Imitates a shuck or dun. Only problem is durability.

 

[Tigereye]

On ds emerger the material list says white z-lon for trailing shuck.. In the video it looks like he uses brown. He also says don't change a thing? Hmmmmm

 

[Sylvaneous]

Use a light wire scud hook or some such thing. hard to say exact size b/c they're so often 2X or 3X short. But something less than a 16 size.
If you want to get intricate, try 2 styles. One is a floating nymph (emerger) imitation. The other is a low dry version.

Emerger:
wood duck tail. med. olive brown rabbit dubbing up the body, ribbed by black thread or sparkle stuff if you think that's good. They don't look anything like that, but it works. Tie in a CDC wing posted up forward about 30 degrees forward from perpendicular. Use enough so it floats well. Then dub the head with olive dry fly dubbing.

Stuck shuck: CDC Tail of dark brown antron or sparkle yarn or whatever. About 1/2 the shank length extending. Then tie a CDC comparadun. Wet the tail (shuck) and body so it sits down in the water.

A real 'secret" is treating the CDC ahead of time with Watershed or fluoropolymer water treatment. The Loon stuff that is isopropyl alcohol based and leaves a white powder works too. After catching a fish, I've cast out that fly to wash off the slime and dry it and POP, it stayed right on the surface. Some don't, but most do. Hackle is nearly dead to me now with snow shoe hare and CDC.

These 2 flies are just specific examples of EVERY fly I use for mayfly hatch risers. But for 16 and up, I use snow shoe hare. Ridiculously easy, super durable and more effective than anything I can try. Really, you can swing these things like wets. Then at the bottom of the swing, release the line tension and POP, they hatch before your eyes. Hard to do right over a trout, though.

Syl

 

[shakey]

Olive thread,dun hackle.

 

[ryanpgh]

A simple size 18 olive WD-40 is my "go-to."