PARA8. The Blue Winged Olive Parachute Dry Fly

THE BLUE WINGED OLIVE FLY PATTERN
The Blue Winged Olive (BWO) is just one common name used to describe some, but not all, members of the insect family groups called Baetis (pronounced beet-us) Ephemerella, Baetidae, Drunella and Diphetor. Other names include Bluewing, Tiny Olives, Iron Blue Dun, Iron Blue Quill, Little Slate Winged Olive, Little Slate Winged brown quill, Tiny Western Olive and Little Western Iron Blue Quill. There are many species of Blue Winged Olive mayflies. There are 153 species currently listed for North America. There is often confusion among fly fishermen because the species are difficult to distinguish. One fisherman will report success fishing a great hatch of Blue Winged Olives another on the same river will be discussing the pattern he used to imitate a Little Slate Winged Olive hatch. Quite often they are discussing the same insect. It is very difficult to distinguish one species from another. Part of the reason for identification confusion is that the scientific names for major hatches of Baetis have changed recently. But who cares what the scientific name of a sub species of mayfly is. The trout do not care. To them food is food what ever it is called. When the trout are taking these early season mayfly, getting the size right matters more than an exact imitation. Hatches begin as early as February and continue until November. Those fly fishermen that only pick up their rod in the late spring and summer months really miss some fine fishing. Hatches normally start just after lunch. Search out back-eddies on the river. This is where I normally find blue-winged olive circle endlessly around and around. I think they like the air currents and this is where you will find the trout ready to suck them down. This fly also works well in slow run stretches of water. Use your eyes and hunt the swarms. Look out for airborne insect eating birds like swallows feasting on or near the water surface.

Blue Winged Olive mayflies imitations can catch trout throughout the flyfishing season. The disadvantage is that you have to carry a variety of hook sizes as one Blue Winged Olive will emerge in the morning and needs a hook size 12 BWO fly whilst another emerges at dusk and requires a hook size 20 fly. The presence of rising trout gently sipping something from the water's surface with no duns visible on the water generally means that the trout are taking the suspended nymphs and emerging duns. The Pheasant Tail Nymph and Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear nymphs are ideal imitations for the blue-winged olive's early stages. Drift them near the bottom any day between September to April that is if your part of the world is not covered in ice. When it is hatching time the emerging duns have to wait in the water surface for about a minute for their wings to dry. Trout love this time of the year as it is easy pickings. Try a Shipman’s Buzzer, Suspender buzzer, Klinkhammer or Parachute fly to mimic these emerging duns.

PARACHUTE DRY FLIES
The term parachute fly is given to flies in which the hackle is tied round a projection affixed to the top of the hook shank near the eye so that the hackle lies horizontally across the hook which it covers in the manner of an open umbrella. The weight of the hook underneath the circular hackle balances the fly which falls lightly on the water parachute fashion. Various patterns are tied in the parachute style and a Scottish tackle firm was the first to commercially market these flies a long time ago. It is not certain who invented them but an American called William Brush of Detroit applied for an American patent for the idea in 1931 and it was granted in 1934. The patent related to the projection on the hook and not the fly itself. 

The traditional way of dressing dry flies with upright wings and hackles that make the fly stand high on the water's surface may be very pleasing but it is not necessarily the best design for catching fish in some anglers opinions. The parachute dry fly style of dressing allows the fly to sit well down in or on the surface film, mimicking either an emerging mayfly dun filling its wings, a spent spinner, stillborn, floating nymph or a crippled drowning fly trapped in the surface film. They can be dramatically more effective at getting takes. Some traditionalist will not use them but I find them very effective and easy to cast correctly. I have found them more suited to still water fishing as once a ripple or two has broken over them they become waterlogged.  The softer landing, the delicate presentation is one of this patterns principle benefits. The parachute effect of the hackle slows down the descent. It does not spook the fish as much as a normal dry fly.  They are one of my favorite lake flies. When the trout are rising and taking food with a gentle sipping action these are the flies to use.

When the mayflies have stopped emerging and the surface action has died down. The fishing is not over if you know where to look. Go for a walk down the riverbank and look for bankside eddies, areas of slow slack pockets of water near faster moving water. A lot of mayflies do not successfully emerge during the hatch. They are referred to as cripples or stillborn. Others are flipped over, capsized in choppy water. They seem to collect in these eddies. You will find trout rising to them long after the original hatch has finished. Cast a Parachute into these pockets and let it drift. It is a great way to extend your surface fishing time.