dry
BWO Parachute
The BWO Parachute is a specific-color Adams variant tied to match the ubiquitous Blue-Winged Olive mayfly hatch. With its olive body and dun hackle riding low in the film, it perfectly imitates Baetis duns drifting helplessly on the surface. It is the fly you reach for when olive-bodied mayflies blanket the water from fall through spring.
Originated by Various tyers, evolved from parachute tradition
Recipe
- HookStandard dry fly hook (TMC 100, Daiichi 1180) · Tiemco
- ThreadGray tying thread 8/0 or 70 denier · Semperfli
- TailOlive microfibbets
- WingWhite poly yarn
- BodyOlive dubbing · Hareline
- HackleBlue dun dry-fly hackle
History
Blue-Winged Olive parachute patterns evolved from the general parachute dry fly tradition as anglers realized that matching the specific olive coloration of Baetis mayflies dramatically improved catch rates during these prolific hatches. The BWO Parachute became a tailwater essential through the 1990s and 2000s.
Tying overview
Same structure as a Parachute Adams but with olive dubbing, dun hackle, and olive-dun tail fibers matched to Baetis coloration.
Fishing tips
Present the BWO Parachute with a dead drift in the feeding lanes during a Baetis hatch. These hatches often occur on overcast, drizzly days — the worse the weather, the better the fishing. Size down when fish refuse: #20-22 matches late-season Baetis.