| Maine's #2 Mayfly: The Blue Winged Olive | |
| Family: | Baetidae |
| Genus: | Baetis |
| Species 62: | Vagans |
| Common Name: | Dark Blue Winged Olive |
| Nymphal Type: | Darting Swimmer |
| Hatch Schedule: | Apr. 17 - May 17 11 A.M. - 4 P.M. and late summer at Dusk |
| Water Temperature: | High 40's - 55 degrees |
| Imitations | |
| Hook Sizes: | Sub-Surface 16, 18, 20 Surface 14, 16, 18 |
| Nymph: | Baetis Compara-nymph, Hare's Ear with Dark Wing Case |
| Color: | Brownish-Medium Olive |
| Emerger: | Baetis Deerhair Emerger, Hare's Ear Wet |
| Dun: | Blue Winged Olive, Dark Blue Quill, Adams |
| Color: | Medium-Olive Body with Grayish-blue Wings |
| Spinner: | Baetis Compara-spinner |
| Color: | Dark Olive or Yellowish-Brown |
| Tier: | Alvin R. Grove |
These nymphs have a special identifiable feature in that the middle of the 3 tails is half the length of the two outer tails. Look for these nymphs to be around aquatic vegetation and under submerged gravel, rocks and boulders at the tail end of pools. Because these little darting swimmers can negotiate in the faster currents, they can also be found in fast gravel runs and riffles.
These nymphs feed on the detritus and debris that accumulates between rocks or around dead falls within the riffles and medium fast runs. When emerging, the nymph will crawl up to the surface by using aquatic plants, partially submerged streamside vegetation rocks and boulders.
These are highly specialized aquatic insects that can dart minnow-like in the warm water, when not perched on the shaft of aquatic vegetation or the slowly undulating filamentous foliage of sub-aquatic growth. They are very similar to the B. baetis, but can be quickly segregated by their three tails of equal length and generally larger size. These nymphs will (wiggle and squirm) to the surface of the water during the hatch. The hatch will often occur around mid-morning when the sun has warmed the water to a sufficient temperature. These insects are available to the fish all during the fishing season because these nymphs will continue to hatch from the third week of May until early in September.
After the hatch, you will see these newly emerged Mayfly adults (Duns) floating on the surface of the water. This nymph will lose its middle tail, during the transition from nymph to dun. The insect will spread its wings out to prepare for flight and often times during a slight wind these insects will be blown across the surface of the water and appear to be little sail boats. This is the time that these insects are most available to the fish and you will see the fish actively feeding on these Mayflies before the opportunity is lost when the insect takes flight. Of the 28 some species, only three are considered very important to the eastern fly fisher.
I should mention that because these insects will hatch during daylight hours instead of the traditional low light conditions of dawn and dusk, sometimes a strange event takes place, which confuses some anglers.
Here you are, sitting in your canoe and there are Mayflies all over the place in an obvious hatch but you can't see any feeding activity. This doesn't mean that the fish aren't aware of the hatch; they are just not comfortable with the bright sunlight and will prefer to concentrate on the nymphs as they rise towards the surface or that inhabit the more comfortable protection of the deeper water.
The majority of fly anglers in Maine rely on small wet fly patterns instead of Nymphs, primarily because they are easier to use, yet still produce the end result, catching fish. As the season progresses, the dry fly gradually replaces the wet fly, and the Nymph is generally ignored by the vast segment of our Fly Fishing Community. For those who know how to utilize the Nymph in its natural settings, will find far more productivity and under more circumstances than with any other fly design.
This will be true in the spring before adult naturals have emerged, throughout the season when hatches are sporadic, and at the tail end of the season when the large hatches have all but disappeared.
Look for these hatches to be in the quiet waters of eddies, pools and the side currants that have plenty of aquatic vegetation in the moving waters and alone the edges of ponds and lakes with shoreline aquatic vegetation.
Finding Nymphs can be as easy as walking along a stream and reaching into the water and removing a small rock. Turn the rock over and see who is crawling on or clinging to the underside of it. It is not unusual to see more than one species of aquatic insects living in the same area. Note the general color, shape and size of the most prominent mature species because that's your ticket to success. Take a close look at the end of the insect's legs and check for how many claws are present. If there is only one claw, then you are dealing with a Mayfly Nymph.
Check also the hump just behind the insect's head. This is called a wing case and you need to know if the case has started to split open. A split wing case will indicate that this particular species will hatch during the next low light conditioned event. If the case is not split then the hatch may occur within the next day or so. Based on your acute observations, your next task is to choose the right imitation to match what nature has shown you. Believe me when I tell you that there is no better thrill than to have guessed right, based on your newly learned skills and more especially if you are the one that tied the very fly that caught the fish.
The nymphs are dart minnow-like in the calm water when not perched on the shafts of aquatic vegetation. They are quite similar to baetis (BWO), but can be separated from them because of their three tails of equal length and their larger size.
The B. callibaetis mayflies are multi-brooded and it's not uncommon for three generations of these insects to hatch during one season. This means that on some waters, these insects are important from the middle of April until well into the month of October.
I will use the mature nymph heavily two weeks prior to the usual emergence date and when I notice the emergence occurring or the sudden rises, which are sipping in nature, I will then switch to an emerging pattern and work the imitation in the surface film.
Tactics
These nymphs are real quick and their movements are in short fast darting motions in amongst the aquatic vegetation. Use a full-sink or sinking tip line to get these nymphs down to the fish and use a short jerking retrieval motion.
These nymph patterns should be fished with a darting, twitching motion near weed beds, roots, boulders and undercut banks. These nymph patterns should be fished with a darting, twitching motion near weed beds, roots, boulders and undercut banks.
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