Blue Quill Dun

The Blue Quill sometimes known as the Mahogany Dun or Little Blue Quill is one of the first hatches of the year along with the Quill Gordons and the Blue Winged Olives. The hatch occurs slightly ahead of the larger Quill Gordon and continues over a longer period than does the Quill Gordon, making it just as important as the Quill Gordon hatch.

The hatch starts when the water temperature approaches 50 degrees F. However, for the hatch to occur, it must also be the right time of year for their cycle. In other words should the water reach 50 degrees too early, the hatch will not necessarily occur.

The trout are just as anxious to eat them as they are the larger Quill Gordons. It is not true that a larger fly will yield a strike from a larger trout as some anglers seem to think. A common mistake is to use a larger hook size for the Blue Quill. The optimum hook size is 18 or sometimes even a 20, but never a 16. The proper hook size is important but is often overlooked by anglers.

The Blue Quill duns are redish brown and the wings are a bale gray and after they hatch, they tend to float on the surface of the water for a distance before flying away. When the water is cold as is often in the first part of a hatch, they will float as far as 30 feet. The trout are happy to feed on these duns which do not require a great deal of the trout’s energy. Do not forget these Blue Quills will hatch for a month or longer than the Quill gordons, so do not expect to find heavy concentrations of them. However, you will find them for several days in a row.