Klinkhammer Blue Winged Olive – 02/22/2019

Klinkhammer Blue Winged Olive 02/22/2019 Photo Album

Last winter I tied my first batch of Klinkhammer BWO’s. My post of 01/09/2018 provides background information on my motivation for adding this small fly to my inventory. It also presents a materials table that includes all the required ingredients to create this effective fly.

Four Completed Klinkhammers

The Klinkhammer blue winged olive was added to my fly box in response to several outings, when my old reliable CDC blue winged olive failed to interest trout during a baetis hatch. Most of these instances coincided with windy conditions, and I surmised that the trout selectively locked into emergers just below the surface. I speculated that the dangling abdomen of the Klinkhammer on a curved scud hook might be the solution to this perplexing situation.

A Nice Example

During the 2018 season I encountered several situations, when the CDC version was ineffective, and I resorted to my new weapon; the Klinkhammer BWO. I am pleased to report that the alternative fly was successful, and the best example occurred during a visit to the South Platte River in early April. My 04/05/2018 post describes this experience in detail.

CDC Feather Included

Given the sporadic success of the Klinkhammer I decided to increase my supply for the upcoming 2019 season. I surveyed my fly boxes and counted eight remaining from my tying efforts during the previous winter. I refurbished two that contained an unraveling parachute hackle and then added two new models to increase my beginning supply to twelve. Hopefully the Klinkhammer will justify its presence in my fly box during 2019.