Bodkin / Patterns

Hi-Vis Rusty Spinner

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Standard dry-fly hook, Tiemco 100SP-BL / 100 / 101, #12-24
  • Thread Rusty brown 8/0 / 70D (or 14/0 Veevus for small sizes)

Materials

  • Tails White or rusty-brown Microfibetts / tailing fibers (2-3 per side, split)
  • Abdomen Rusty-brown goose biot (1 biot)
  • Wings White McFlylon / poly yarn (spent, plus a hi-vis over-post) (1 clump)
  • Hackle Grizzly or badger rooster hackle (1 feather)
  • Thorax Rusty-brown Superfine dry-fly dubbing (pinch)

How to tie it

  1. Start the rusty-brown thread and run a smooth base to the bend.
  2. Split-tie the Microfibett tails: two or three fibers to each side, spread in a wide V about one shank length long, using a small dubbing ball at the bend to splay them.
  3. Tie in a rusty-brown goose biot by its tip at the bend and wind it forward in touching turns to the thorax to form a segmented abdomen; tie off and trim.
  4. At the thorax, tie in a clump of white McFlylon across the hook and figure-eight it into spent (flat) spinner wings; leave a small upright tuft as the hi-vis post so you can see the low-floating fly.
  5. Tie in the grizzly hackle by the stem at the wing base.
  6. Dub a slim rusty-brown Superfine thorax around the wing base.
  7. Wind the grizzly hackle 3-5 turns through the thorax and over the wing base (a palmered thorax hackle adds float and visibility to this flush-floating spinner), tie off and clip. Whip finish and cement. The white wings and post keep this flat-in-the-film pattern trackable in flat water.
  8. Trim the hackle flat underneath if you want it to sit lower in the surface film.

Tying videos

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