Early olives

[sipe]

I'd like to tie up some olive nymphs, emergers, and dries. What size should I focus on for the early season olives and what is your favorite pattern for each of the stages? Note: I'm only a moderately proficient tyer but I have materials and am good enough to make a fish-able fly as I pretty much tie all of my stuff now...still simple is preferred.

 

[Dcap240]

Size 18 or 20 CDC sparkle dun is my number 1 olive pattern. Snowshoe or deer hair wing works as well although I probably use deer hair olives the least. RS2 is another pattern i like. PT nymphs have always done the job for me for a lot of mayfly nymphs. I have some olive colored PT nymphs but natural colored works just as well. I carry parachutes, adams style and catskill style ( dun colored mallard flank wing) for dries. I also always carry a few spinners. Once in a while enough of them fall on the water to attract the fish. I tie all these patterns in sizes 16-24 but where I am early in the season it's almost always an 18 or 20.

 

[sandfly]