The Return of Spring: Blue Wing Olives

It's hard to beat spring fishing on the Provo River. Perhaps it's me anticipating all winter the return of casting dry flies to rising brown trout. Perhaps it's the fish anticipating feeding on an active spring hatch. Perhaps it's me remembering the nearly forgotten sights, sounds, and feel of being in the river. Whatever the reason, the late-March to early-May Blue Wing Olive mayflies on the Provo are hard to beat.

My son Mason and I spent a couple of hours recently casting to fish on the Provo on a beautiful spring day in early April. He returns to BYU soon for his final year and we were eager to get in some good spring fishing before he does.

I heralded the return of spring, of course, with a trip to Eddie Robinson's. Barlow directed me to his favorite flies and I bought a generous helping of nymphs, emergers, and drys. (He also reminded me that they clean lines, a trip I have yet to make.)

Here is this year's selection. I wonder why I bother with the nymphs and emergers since it's really casting dry flies (far right) that brings me out in the spring.

This trip was to a stretch of the middle Provo I first fished last fall. I assured Mason we would find eager fish here. While our success was mostly on emergers and we saw no prolific hatch, it proved to be just as rewarding in the spring as in the fall.

Looking northeast to the mountains at the far end of the Heber Valley.

Mason releasing a fish he'll enjoying releasing even more next year.


It's always fun to be on the water. It's even more fun to share it with those you love.


Welcome spring! We've enjoyed winter but it's nice to have you back.

Supporting Passionate Fly Fishers

From time to time I find small fly shops with owners who share a passion for fly fishing. Rare people for whom fly fishing is less a product to sell and more a passion to pass along to those who share it. Such was one shop I found in 1998 in Provo - Great Basin Outfitters.

I loved to wander through that store looking at flies, chatting with the owner, and hearing about great days on the water. I took my first fly tying class there. Shortly thereafter I made my first trip to the Green River where I caught my first Brown on a Griffith's Gnat I tied myself. I enjoyed the class and the trip with my good friend Paul Miller (after whom I've dubbed a certain stretch of the Provo River "Miller's Hole" - Paul, you know the spot).

Unfortunately, when Sportsman's Warehouse came to Provo it was the beginning of the end for Great Basin Outfitters. My days of sharing my passion with a like minded boutique owner were over.

Until I stopped at Eddie Robinson's Fly Fishing in Orem and met Eddie. It's a small shop with all the passion. I try to frequent Eddie's place whenever I can, wanting to do my part to support a small business owner with a passion he's willing to share. I recently stumbled across Eddie's website. His personal statement, titled "Passion for Fly Fishing," will introduce you to Eddie - another fly fisher with a river running through him.

Good luck, Eddie, and thanks for the hot chocolate on my last trip in.