RUSTY SPINNER - FOTW - Jul 14, 2014

RUSTY SPINNER


The rusty spinner is one of my "go to flies" when I am fishing on one of my local spring creeks during the evening hours. It is a good imitation for the Pale Morning Dun spinner and it seems to work well during those times when there are no spinners evident.


My flies are not as good looking as Byron's but they seem to work for me. It was over 40 years ago when I had the great pleasure to meet fish with and become a friend with Vince Marinaro. He showed me his favorite spinner pattern, which is illustrated in his first book, A Modern Dry Fly Code. Vince would wrap the thorax area of his flies with hackle and then clip the hackle to form the wings. He would clip the hackle from the top and the bottom making a fly with completely spent wings or he would clip the hackle to allow the wings to be slightly lifted off the water. Since that time I have tied most of my spinners using this technique.

The photo at the head of your article has a treatment to the body that is not included in the instruction photos. Looks like it could be a biot body or some other material. I sure like the looks of the fly and would like to be a copy cat. Could you advise what that material you used might be?

Jim Johnson
Doublehauler

The body is a biot. The fly was tied by Byron Haugh and I used the image merely to illustrate the article. It is a beautiful fly, very well tied, and more nicer than mine.

Neal,
You are waaaayy too kind. Your flies are great, and, I suspect, presented better.......very important.

Byron,

Thanks for the compliment, but you are a superior fly tyer and I am a journey man. As for presentation, I work at it, but better than you or even better than most - I doubt that. Fly fishing is just fun for me, fly tying is an extension of the fun. There are many people that are far better at the fishing and the tying than me, but I don't find that in anyway troubling. Have a great day.