Olive Quill Dun

Early in September my friend Art Kempf and I arrived at the Tongue River in Wyoming at about 11:00 a.m. We walked down to the stream and found many fish taking BWO nymphs and emergers. Later the duns showed up and later still there was an amazing spinner fall. I saw at least three different sizes of Olives in the air. We caught fish steadily. The Olive Quill Dun was most effective for me, but later the spinner pattern sealed the deal. Several days later on the Big Horn, one evening, we were surrounded and covered with size 18 Black Caddis. Twenty inch Rainbow heads were all over the place feeding. They wouldn't take our black caddis flies. Later we discovered they were feeding exclusively on size 22 BWO spinners.

During the last three days of the season this year I was over in SW WI with my friend John Gribb fishing spring creeks. BWO's were hatching, but not many of them---and they were sizes 20 and 22. My size 18 Olive Quill Dun saved the night and the next morning for me.BWO's seem to be around the whole season.

I plan in the future to carry a small fly box with just BWO patterns----nymphs, emergers, duns, and spinners----each in several sizes and patterns. This will be a winter project. By the way, I got this pattern from A. K. Best's BWO Video. It contains great instruction.