The Blue Wing Olive is often abbreviated to BWO or known simply as an 'olive' (collectively as olives). This small insect can show up at any time of the season but they are most predominant in the colder months from May to October. They range in size from 16 down to a tiny 26-28 and thrive in the cold, tailrace fisheries of south east Australia. They are found in similar ecosystems the world over, receiving a lot of attention in the Rocky Mountain states of the USA.

The most effective nymph imitation for this insect is the pheasant tail nymph. Tied sparsely, its colour and defined segmentation are well imitated by this fly. There are many parachute and no hackle dun ties to imitate the dun or sub-imago stage. Wing colour seems to be very important when fishing this fly, probably because a lot of the fishing we do with it is in late season, low, clear water.

The spinner pattern is usually a small #16-20 rust coloured pattern. The better fish seem to prefer the nymph, emerger and dun stage over the spinner with this particular critter.