Bodkin / Patterns

Brown Spinner

Wet Fly · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook short-shank dry fly (e.g. Mustad 3813B), 14-18
  • Thread rusty brown 12/0

Materials

  • Tail Rusty brown cock hackle fibers (a few, splayed) (3-8)
  • Body Rusty brown tying thread with a rusty brown dubbed thorax (full shank)
  • Rib Tying thread wound over the hackle (optional) (few turns)
  • Wing Spent grizzle/pale hackle points (or none, hackle-only version) (optional pair)
  • Hackle Long-fibered rusty brown cock (dry-fly) hackle (2-3 turns)
  • Head Rusty brown (small)

How to tie it

  1. Tie in a sparse tail of rusty brown cock hackle fibers, splayed for balance.
  2. Wind a slim body of rusty brown thread and add a lightly dubbed rusty brown thorax.
  3. Optionally set spent grizzle hackle points flat at the thorax for the classic spinner silhouette.
  4. Wind two to three turns of long-fibered rusty brown cock hackle at the thorax; for a spent presentation trim the underside so the fly rides flush.
  5. Whip finish a small rusty head and cement.

Tying videos

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