Olives

[tgif]

Since most will agree that fish are oportunistic feeders, i subscribe to the belief that fish see what they want to see when it is dangling off their nose. I know that if they are eating #18 olive emergers, they probably wont eat a #10 royal coachman dry (but they might ), however, i think that color, as long as relatively close, is less important that size and presentation. This is one reason that i really like biot bodies on nymphs and soft hackles. I think that an olive biot, will actually cover several portions of the olive/green spectrum, and thus make it easier for a fish to see what htey want to see.

I use biots in green, olive, black, brown, tan and grey, my most successful color being grey. Because there is an aspect of translucence on the thin side of the biot, and darker color on the "rib" side, i think that it most closely illustrates the contrast and nuance that is being debated here.

Just my thoughts.

Related directly to Olives, i think that a dusty or greyish olive is the most successful. Thats just from personal experience in Maine and NH.

[Soft-hackle]

tgif,
I agree with you regarding the importance of color. A mixture of olive dubbing colors might also be better in covering the variables of olive coloration.

Mark

[Soft-hackle]

Otter,
I missed your post, earlier! Yes, I see--many many olives. We also have to consider that Baetis species are knwn for depositing their eggs on stream bottoms, and swim down to do so. So, the color of the female spinner may also be important in wingless wet fly creation.

Mark

[gingerdun]

Here is a link to some great photos of Drunella cornuta, Blue-winged Olive, on the Broadhead taken by Jason Neuswanger.
http://www.troutnut.com/hatch/3837/Mayf ... nged-Olive
In one where we see the belly of the Blue-winged Olive up close, its color changes from dark blue around the head and thorax, to variegated shades of light olive green to dark. I would say that variations of coloration are desirable, rather than a solid color—especially from thorax to body, and to hackle.

[crazy4oldcars]

Given that the bugs aren't monochromatic, do you usually tie the thorax lighter, darker, or the same as the abdomen?
(I know, look at what is hatching, but I am curious to what you see the most of.)

Kirk

[hankaye]

gingerdun, Howdy;

Good argument for using blended dubbing when tying.
Or so one might surmise ......

hank