Guide
IllustrationOlive Dun
Dry#12–14oliveBest: Apr–Jun, Sep
When to use
A general dry olive for when trout are rising quietly to small upwinged flies, especially the evening rise on rivers and calmer lough margins; fished dead-drift or static as an all-rounder alongside the Adams and Grey Duster.
Imitates
Olive dun (Baetis / pale watery / small dark olive species) — the upwinged dun stage of a hatching olive.
Team position
Single dry fly, or top dropper on a river leader when duns are hatching.
Best methods
Dry, staticDead-drift
Dressing
- Hook
- dry fly, #12–14
- Thread
- olive 8/0
- Tail
- dark dun cock hackle fibres, sparse
- Body
- olive dubbing, slim
- Hackle
- dun or medium olive cock hackle, wound as a collar
- Wing
- pale grey/dun hackle tips or CDC, upright and divided
- Head
- olive thread head
'Olive Dun' is a category name covering the general upwinged-olive dry rather than one fixed recipe; dressing follows the standard Baetis dun template.
Pairs with
Retrieve & line
- Fished dry and static — floating line
- At its best on the evening rise
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