Drunella flavilinea (Flav's)
Adult coloration
Olive
Brown
Description
Overview
The Drunella flavilinea, commonly called the Flav, Lesser Green Drake, or Small Western Green Drake, is a mayfly (order Ephemeroptera) and a smaller cousin to the more famous Green Drake. Found in cold, clear rivers and streams of the western U.S., it's prized for reliable summer hatches, with olive bodies, lighter highlights, and semi-translucent wings that make for excellent dry fly fishing during emergence.
Nymph
Nymphs run 1/4 to 1/2 inch, olive to dark brown, with stout legs and gills built for fast water. They're robust clingers, so drift patterns through riffles and runs, letting them tumble naturally along the bottom — a slight twitch can trigger strikes. Hook sizes: 12 to 16.
Dry/Dun/Spinner
Adults run 1/4 to 1/2 inch, olive-green to yellowish with light gray wings. Hatches run late morning to early afternoon, especially on cloudy days, with trout feeding eagerly on duns struggling in the surface film — a careful presentation in riffles and seams pays off. Spinner falls often extend the action into evening. Hook sizes: 12 to 16.
Curated by the IdentaFly fly fishing team.
