‘Tis the season for emerging insects on America’s great trout rivers. Here in Idaho, it’s full-on Blue-winged Olive season (in an infuriating size 20!). While traditional dun patterns can work well, I’ve found that trout are often keyed in on emerging BWOs well into the full hatch. And a BWO tied “Klinkhamer” style perfectly mimics these small bugs.
Here, Tim Flagler ties the traditional Klinkhamer in a size 12 (much more my style), and it’s a good demonstration on how to tie this style of fly. For my BWOs, I obviously use a different color dubbing (olive green or a light brown), but otherwise, this fly is a great representation of emerging bugs. It’s not a simple tie, particularly in a size 20, but it’s an effective fly, for sure.
— Chris Hunt