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.