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Blue Wing Olive (BWO)Dry Flyintermediate

Rocky Mountain West

Blue Wing Olive (BWO)

$2.95

Available Sizes#16 - #22
Color Variations
OliveDark OliveGray-Olive

When the weather turns miserable -- overcast, drizzling, the kind of day that makes sane people stay home -- the Baetis hatch, and suddenly the river is alive with rising trout. The Blue Wing Olive is your ticket to the show. It is small, subtle, and requires the kind of precise presentation that will either make you a better angler or make you take up golf. There is no middle ground.

Quick Facts

TypeDry Fly
Difficultyintermediate
SeasonsSpring, Fall, Winter
Target SpeciesRainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout
Sizes#16 - #22
Best LocationsFrying Pan River, CO; Missouri River, MT; South Platte River, CO; Henry's Fork, ID

Where to Fish It

Frying Pan River

CO · Tailwater

Missouri River

MT · Tailwater

South Platte River

CO · Tailwater

Henry's Fork

ID · Spring Creek

Map unavailable. Locations for Blue Wing Olive (BWO): Frying Pan River, CO; Missouri River, MT; South Platte River, CO; Henry's Fork, ID

Related Reading

region guide

Rocky Mountain Trout: A River-by-River Guide

The Rocky Mountain West holds the finest trout rivers in North America. From the gin-clear tailwaters of Colorado to the sweeping freestone rivers of Montana, these waters offer everything from technical dry fly fishing to aggressive streamer hunting. This is your river-by-river guide to all of it.

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The Spring Playbook: First Hatches to Full Send

Spring is the most dynamic season in fly fishing — water temperatures swing daily, hatches emerge in waves, and fish that have been dormant for months begin feeding with increasing urgency. This is your region-by-region playbook for fishing the awakening.

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How Trout See Your Fly: The Science of Color and Light

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hatch guide

The Complete Guide to Mayfly Hatches

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Emerger Patterns: Fishing the In-Between

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technique

Water Temperature: The Master Variable

Water temperature controls everything. Metabolism, feeding intensity, insect emergence, dissolved oxygen, where fish hold, and whether they'll eat your fly. Understanding thermal dynamics across freshwater and saltwater systems is the single most reliable way to predict fishing quality before you even leave the truck.

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Fly Selection: A Decision Tree for Every Situation

Most anglers open their fly box and stare at it like a menu in a foreign language. But fly selection isn't mystical — it's a decision tree. Start with what the fish are eating, narrow by presentation depth, match the profile and size, and you'll arrive at the right fly in under sixty seconds. Here's the system.

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Barometric Pressure and Fishing: Fact vs. Fiction

Every angler has heard it: 'The barometer's falling — the fish are gonna feed.' But how much of barometric pressure lore is actual science, and how much is confirmation bias wrapped in a fishing vest? The answer is more nuanced than either camp wants to admit.

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Nymph or Dry? The Decision That Changes Everything

Ninety percent of a trout's diet is consumed subsurface. Yet ninety percent of the magazine covers show a dry fly floating on calm water. The decision between nymphing and dry-fly fishing isn't about preference — it's about reading the situation and making the choice that puts your fly where the fish are actually feeding.

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The Fall Guide: Changing Seasons, Changing Tactics

Fall is when the fishing world rearranges itself. Brown trout become aggressive and territorial as spawning urges override caution. Steelhead push into Pacific Northwest rivers on autumn rain. Striped bass blitz baitfish along the Northeast coast. And trout streams that were too warm in August cool into prime condition. Here's how to fish every opportunity the changing season offers.

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The Winter Guide: Cold Water, Warm Hands, Willing Fish

Winter separates the dedicated from the fair-weather crowd. The rivers are empty, the hatches are tiny, and the fish feed in slow motion. But they do feed — they have to. And the angler who understands cold-water metabolism, midge biology, and the art of slowing down will find winter fishing not just productive but deeply rewarding.

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