Lingrens Olive

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Lingrens Olive.

I found this fly in the American Nymph Fly Tying Manual  (1975) by Randall Kaufmann. It imitates many mayfly nymphs and the fly pattern sheet suggests tying these nymphs in sizes 10 – 18. It was named Lingren’s Olive. But after writing this TBT post, I’ve since found out the name was wrong in Kaufmann’s book. It should read Lindgren’s Olive.

I don’t know much about Ira Lindgren, but Kaufmann referenced the fact he lived in the Sierra foothills. Perhaps a few of you may know of Ira. If so, please share his history.

This is a recent tie in a size 16 I plan on trying in the near future to imitate a Blue Wing Olive nymph. The fly pattern directions are to trim the hackle on top and bottom, leaving hackle on the sides for legs. I think I’ll try it as a soft hackle and make a few cuts out on the river.

Enjoy…go fish!

UPDATED 2/12/16: My friend Wayne Luallen provided the following information about Ira:

“Ira Lindgren was a grape farmer living in Dinuba, CA. He was far ahead of his time among fly fishers.

In the 1950’s he snorkeled the Kings River observing how fish fed and wrote several articles about his observations and fly fishing in general. I recall his writing about how trout were constantly picking up anything drifting by – twigs, debris, or insects – that might possibly represent food, but he was especially impressed how quickly they could reject that object. (Some of his articles may still be available thru the Fresno Fly Fishers for Conservation club in Fresno, CA, or the Kaweah Fly Fishers club in Visalia, CA which have reprinted some in their newsletters over the years.)

He was a friend of Wayne ‘Buz’ Buszek in Visalia and Doug Prince who lived in Monterey who with Buz and Ira fished the Kings River often. Ira had access to peccary and used the body hairs natural or dyed to make the “quill” body on his dry flies. Typically they were tied with a hackle barb tail, a single peccary hair wound for the body, and an over-sized (for the hook used) hackle with no wing. His nymphs were very simply tied, but very effective, generally employing peacock herl. Buz’s Fly and Tackle in Visalia for many years sold some of Ira’s patterns, particularly his nymphs. Perhaps his most effective was his most simple: Lindgren’s Peacock.

Hook: Mustad 7957BX or 3906, size 10-14

Thread: Black Nymo

Tail: sparse dyed black hackle barbs

Body: Peacock herl counter-ribbed with gold wire

Hackle: dyed black hackle trimmed top and bottom leaving just a few barbs to either side

Regrettably Ira ended his life in 1966, a year after Buz chose to do the same.”

Thanks Wayne!