This post is dedicated to the BWO nymph/emerger. I won't cover everything about them, but I will try to hit the main points. I think it will be better to make a list, with each point bringing need to know information on the BWO.
1) BWO is the first major Mayfly hatch of PA's Hatches. While they can hatch in February, March and April bring the most consistent hatches of the BWO, until their reemergence in the Fall.
2)They usually hatch best on overcast days. On these colder overcast days they hatch late morning until mid afternoon.
3)Their nymphs are a tan color and as they get closer to the hatch, they get darker.
4) They are best imitated by size 18-22 hooks.
A pattern that has been growing in popularity in the East the past few years is the WD 40. It is tied on an emerger hook and can be fished as a dropper off a dry fly or as you would a regular nymph. Both ways can be very effective. My favorite way to fish emergers is to use them as my second nymph on a tandem rig and let them swing to the surface at the end of the drift. If you don't use this technique give it a try!
If you look online at BWO nymphs you will notice there are dozens of varieties, some with dark wing cases, some that aren't. Some light bodied and dark dubbed, while some are dark bodied with light dub. The pattern shown today can be tied with a hundred possible color combinations so don't be afraid to tie different ones. A few simple variations I like to use for this fly is the dub color and/or wing case color. After looking at this pattern below, I use two main dubs for this, regular olive dry fly dub (which is lighter) and olive antron dud (which is darker) for the thorax. I also will take a black permanent marker and color the wing case, if the nymphs I find in the stream are darker. I have talked to guys who fish this same pattern, just different colors, as their main midge imitation. The combinations are endless!
A very popular imitation of the BWO is the WD40, shown below.
WD 40 Pattern
Hook: Tiemco 2487 (Size 20 is shown above)
Thread: Olive 6/0
Tail: Dyed Mallard Flank (Olive dyed shown)
Thorax: Dark Olive Dry Fly Dubbing (I prefer olive antron, that is what is shown)
Wing Case: Dyed Mallard Flank (Use a black or brown marker to make wing case darker if desired)
Step One: Tie in the thread about a 1/3 of the shank length away from the eye of the hook
Step Three: Cut about a 1/4 of an inch of Mallard Flank. Tie it in with a tail about the length of the gap of
the hook.
Step Four: Tie the tail down to the bend of the hook, making sure it stays on the top. Then wrap back to the
eye of the hook.
Step Five: Place dub on thread, make sure it is tightly wound on. I use dubbing wax to assist usually.
Step six: Dub the Thorax, be careful not to dub too much!
Step Seven: Tie the Mallard Flank back over the thorax. Wrap Twice to Secure.
Step Eight: Cut the excess Mallard Flank, whip finish. It is Complete!
I hope you enjoyed and learned something from this!
If you click on my photos page, I am posting a BWO Nymph pattern I created/copied from other nymphs. I call it my All Purpose Olive BH Nymph and it is my go to lead nymph when the BWO hatch on. I fish this WD 40 tied off the bend.
Sulphur Salvation
No Drag Allowed
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