Tied by Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions.
This Blue Winged Olive Quill Nymph is a sleek, high-performance pattern perfect for technical trout fishing—especially when matching BWOs during hatch periods. Tied by Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions, this version was originally introduced to him by Matt Grobert, a seasoned fly tyer and author. Grobert learned the pattern from Doug Freeman of the U.S. Youth Fly Fishing Team, who adapted it from a Hunter Hoffler original.
What sets this pattern apart is the use of natural stripped peacock quill for the abdomen and a bold, bright orange hotspot behind the bead. That contrast—slim, natural body with an eye-catching thorax—makes it incredibly effective. It mimics the slender BWO nymph while also providing just enough color to trigger reaction strikes, especially in cold or slightly off-colored water.
Whether you're Euro nymphing or running a traditional nymph rig, this BWO quill nymph gets down fast and stays in the zone, thanks to its slim profile and tungsten bead.
Materials
- Hook: Barbless dry-fly hook, size 16.
- Bead: Tungsten bead, 2mm, silver.
- Thread: 6/0, fire orange.
- Tail: Medium Pardo Coq de Leon, sparse.
- Abdomen: Peacock quill, Golden olive, stripped.
- Collar/thorax: Squirrel dubbing, dark brown.
- Hot Spot: Tying thread.
Note: There are two distinct lines of Coq de Leon. “Pardo,” or the brown line, features feathers that are marked with fine speckling
