Colder, more fall-ish weather is in the forecast. With that in mind, we dug into the CURRENT archives for my Love Letter to Blue-Winged Olives. Their time has come and we wanted to show them a little love as they'll be the primary surface fare for many of the trout that call our favorite fisheries home.

My Very Dear Blue-winged Olives:

Indications are very strong that you shall be the major fare for our most beautifulest of trouts come spring...and again in fall. Lest I should not be able to write you again, I feel impelled to write a few lines, that may fall under your eye when I’m fishing those wintertime midges.

Blue-winged Olives, my love for you is driftless. You serve as source of inspiration as spring approaches and a source of reflection upon autumn’s door. Your arrival brings light on the gloomiest of days and tempts even the ficklest of trout. If it is necessary that I should cast you downstream on the battle-field of those rising rainbows, I am ready. I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly a trouts’ health now leans upon the triumph of your emergence.

Do not mourn my absence this summer and ignore the fact that I am gone fishing the bigger, gaudier salmon fly hatch and tossing a flashy streamer or two. Wait for me, for we shall meet again in fall...and then again the next spring.

I have unlimited confidence in your ability to hatch prolifically on those overcast days. I know that you’ll bring every fish in the river to the surface as they’ve never done before.

- sull-Ivan

Inspired by the Sullivan Ballou Love Letter