The blue winged olive nymph is a swimmer nymph, which is typically fairly slender as far as nymphs go. Thus, a pheasant tail nymph is probably one of the most effective, if not most popular, fly patterns to imitate this nymph. I would suggest tying a few in sizes 16 - 18, some with flashbacks, some with appropriately-sized copper beads.
As far as a basic list of flies to tie for trout streams in Northern California, you'll get as many different answers as you get responses. Here's one such list:
aforementioned pheasant tail nymphs
Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear nymph, sizes 12 - 16, some with gold beads
Light Olive Sparkle Dun, sizes 18 - 20
Olive Hairwing Dun, sizes 14 - 20
Parachute Adams, sizes 14 - 20
Light Cahill, sizes 14 - 18
Olive Beadhead (caddis larva), sizes 12 - 16
greenish-olive Emergent Sparkle Pupa, sizes 14 - 16
Fox Poopah, sizes 12 -16
Cutter's E/C Caddis, sizes 12 -16
Elk Hair Caddis, sizes 12 - 16
Lime and/or Royal Trude, sizes 14 - 16
Brooks Brown Stone, size 8
Gold Stimulator, size 8
any hopper pattern, size 10
Cutter's Perfect Ant, sizes 12 - 18
Yellow and Partride soft hackle wet fly, size 14
Griffith's Gnat, size 18 - 20
Olive, Black, and Brown Woolly Buggers, size 6 or 8
Muddler Minnow, size 8
Zonker, size 4
This list pretty much covers you for any creature you're likely to want to imitate. That said, color variations can vary tremendously from stream to stream, which is why many like to have a mix of olives and tans in their mayfly nymphs and caddis larva selections. I could have listed others, like John Barr's Copper John or a Red Quill Spinner or a Prince Nymph or a Zug Bug or a. . ., but I was trying to keep the list fairly short.
Doubtless the list excludes many folks' "won't go without" and "go to" patterns. Perhaps some will pipe in with a few of those.
-- Mike
Chuck Norris has already been to Mars; that's why there are no signs of life.
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