Blue Winged Olive Soft Hackle

Materials

How to Tie the Blue Winged Olive Soft Hackle

1. 1

   Step 1

   Start the olive dun thread behind the eye and wrap a smooth base back to the bend.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Tie in the olive wire at the bend so it trails off the back of the hook.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Pull a small bunch of fibers from the olive pheasant tail, even them up, and tie them in at the bend. Bring the thread forward, leaving the fibers trailing behind the hook.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Twist the fibers lightly so they hold together, then wrap them forward in touching turns to form a slim body. Stop short of the eye to leave room for the thorax and hackle.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Tie off the fibers with a few thread wraps and trim the excess.

6. 6

   Step 6

   Wrap the wire forward through the body in evenly spaced open turns. Tie it off at the front of the body and remove the excess.

7. 7

   Step 7

   Choose a starling feather from the skin and clean the fluff from the base of the stem.

8. 8

   Step 8

   Tie the feather in by its stem just behind the eye so the feather reaches forward over the eye. Trim the stem.

9. 9

   Step 9

   Dub the thread very lightly with the Baetis dubbing and wrap a small thorax between the body and the tie-in point of the feather.

10. 10

    Step 10

    Clip hackle pliers to the tip of the feather and wrap it in front of the thorax, stroking the fibers back as you go. Tie off the tip and trim it.

11. 11

    Step 11

    Sweep the hackle fibers back, place a few thread wraps in front of them to hold them there, then whip finish and cut the thread.