Bodkin / Patterns

Dark Spinner

Wet Fly · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook standard wet/dry fly, 12-16
  • Thread dark brown/claret 8/0

Materials

  • Tail Dark blue dun or dark brown hackle fibers (a few, long) (3-4)
  • Body Dark reddish-brown (mahogany) dubbing or dark claret silk (full shank)
  • Rib Fine gold wire (optional) (4 turns)
  • Wing Pale grey hackle points or grizzle hackle tied spent, or a dark starling wing (winged version) (matched pair)
  • Hackle Dark brown/dun cock hackle, sparse (2 turns)
  • Head Dark brown fur (small)

How to tie it

  1. Tie in a tail of a few long dark dun hackle fibers, splayed slightly, about one shank length.
  2. Dub a slim dark reddish-brown body along the shank, ribbing with fine gold wire if desired.
  3. For the spent spinner, tie a pair of pale grey/grizzle hackle points flat and horizontal (spent) at the thorax; for the older winged wet version use a dark starling wing sloped back.
  4. Wind a sparse dark brown/dun hackle at the thorax, clipping top and bottom on the spent version so it sits flush in the film.
  5. Whip finish a small dark head and cement.

Tying videos

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