Spring has sprung and the Blue Winged Olive hatches have begun. Here in Park City, both the middle and lower sections of the Provo River are seeing some nice activity. Though we haven’t seen any “blanket” hatches yet, we have still seen enough bugs to keep the fish active. Clouds, cool weather and rain will likely produce a decent hatch. Look for stormy weather if you want to experience this. Also, most hatches are occurring in the late afternoon (try 1-4pm as your target window—later is better).

We have found that patience is important, and you should be willing to try various different flies on the BWO lifecycle. If you’re not having any luck with mayflies, we suggest you switch to nymphing when the action is sparse up on the surface. Also be sure to pack cripples and emergers for when the hatch is approaching.

BWO nymphs live in fast moving water and they are great swimmers. When they emerge, they swim straight to the surface and get pushed into slower pools and flats. You may have to explore the river a little bit to find these spots that are perfect for BWO behavior. Look for deep pools, riffles and flats, and don’t be afraid to move around!

This is one of our favorite hatches, and there are a number of reasons why. BWOs mark the beginning of the river coming back to life after the long, dormant winter. They also bring out aggressive feeding tendencies in trout, so the strikes are good. Additionally, the weather is great, and we get to enjoy the wonderful restoration that Spring brings!

We hope you have a great start to your Provo River fly fishing season!