How to Tie a Blue Wing Olive Nymph

The blue wing olive nymph is a very common hatch for American anglers. The hatch is designed to replicate a mayfly, and is a popular tool among fly fishermen for catching trout. Special kits provide you with all the materials to make this lure, or you can purchase the string and feathers separately.

Things You'll Need

  • Vice
  • Spool of thread
  • Fishing hook
  • Hen hackle feathers
  • Rooster hackle feather
  • Olive green dubbing
  • Hackle feather
  • Tube of cement
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Instructions

    • 1

      Insert the hook and put it into your vice. Face the hook downward so it doesn't get damaged or poke you during the tying process. Apply a layer of thread over the top portion of the hook, and let it hang down.

    • 2

      Attach the wingtips to your hatch. Use two, matching hen hackles; put them back to back so they flare out. Cut the feathers so they are about the length of the shank of the hook. Place them at the end of the hook, and wrap around the thread to hold them in place. Cut the rest of the feather off the back; pull it back so you can wind a few turns of thread around the front. Split the feathers apart by winding a figure eight of thread between the two feathers.

    • 3

      Select a rooster hackle feather; stroke it against the grain several times to split the feathers. Pull the straightened feathers from one side. This is the fly's tail.

    • 4

      Attach the tail feathers to the back of the hook; they stick straight out the back. Wrap the thread around them to secure the tail.

    • 5

      Apply dubbing to the thread. Continue wrapping the dubbed thread around the body of your hatch. Use an olive-colored dubbing for the body.

    • 6

      Attach a hackle feather. Pull the feathers off the bottom of the feather to expose the stem. Wrap the hackle right behind the wings several times. Wrap a few times in front of the wings. Secure the feather with the thread by wrapping it three or four times. Cut off the rest of the hackle.

    • 7

      Pull the feathers back from the head of your hatch. Wrap the thread several times to secure the whole hatch. Push back the feathers slightly with your thumbnail, and put a bit of cement on the thread. Wind the cement-covered thread to form the head of your hatch. Cut off the thread.