Come the dying days of the season, a number of river insects can be expected, but one of the most prevalent will be Large Dark Olives.
The good news here is this particular upwing species is fairly widespread and tolerates many water types, be it a fertile chalkstream sauntering through meadows, or a tumbling burn, way up in the highlands.
So chances are, a river, or stream near you will have a thriving population.
Hatching duns naturally drift downstream as they ready themselves for their maiden flight.
For our imitations to copy this to the letter, ideally we need to position ourselves downstream of rising trout, or any pool we suspect to hold fish. | |
Large Dark Olive Tying Tips | |
As their common name suggests, Large Dark Olives are larger than the average Olive we encounter on rivers, so they’re best copied on a size 14 hook. If you care to look closely at newly emerged duns the segmenting along their abdomen is a pronounced yellow banding, which is why Semperfli Pure Silk Danica Primrose is used as a rib. CDC is often enough to support the fly, however a few wraps of hackle add extra buoyancy for the more boisterous parts of a stream, as well as giving the finished article an attractive footprint. | |
