Spinner Flies

[jszymczyk]

I grew up using spinners for trout. In fact I was making spinners before I started tying flies at around age 10. Along with tying bucktail jigs, dressing hooks for spinners was more or less how I got into tying flies. There was a local type of spinner which everyone called a "Short Striker" which had a fly pattern of any sort, trailed by a small (#14 or so) treble hook, and had a weighted bead body and a french-style blade. Similar to but better than a Joe's Fly. I continue to make these to this day, they are deadly on trout and also panfish. No, there is no NEED for the small treble stinger, but I can't count how many fish I've caught which were hooked only by it. Rainbows especially are notorious for trailing and nipping at the tail... hence the name "Short Striker".

I have 100% as much satisfaction catching fish on lures I've made myself as I do on flies I've tied myself... In fact in the case of these spinners, I've tied the fly AND made the rest of the lure, so there are even more processes and skill which go into it. I love to fly fish, and there were plenty of times when I would rather fly fish than anything- lately though I've learned that I have as much fun fishing PERIOD... fly fishing isn't always the most fun or the right answer.

Spinners work great for trout. End of story.

[cycler68]

I fished with a man once who used a glass rod, an automatic fly reel wrapped with mono and he used spinner flies. He didn't cast but flicked the fly into a stream and directed it with the rod tip and stripped the fly using the auto lever on the reel. It was interesting to watch and he out fished everyone around us. Said he learned the technique from his grand dad growing up in rural Pennsylvania. Jim

Very interesting technique. I wonder if it could be duplicated using a semi-automatic fly reel.

[cycler68]

Jszymczyk,
What do you use for the spinners shaft and how do you make it. I been making a few spinner flies using 25 lb test mono for the shaft and though they do work I haven't quite been satisfied with them. I make a loop at the top for attaching to the tippet and it always comes out cocked instead of straight. Buying a wire bender and using wire for the shaft probably would solve this problem but mono is way cheaper and can be tied by hand.

[Tig]

Cycle 68 --- Make sure you use a perfection loop on the end of that mono. That should keep it from coming out crooked.

[gerri]

I have seen Joe's spinner flies offered with the traditional single hook fly. They are available tied with many of the classic traditional patterns...cow dung, royal coachman, black gnat etc. I have never fished one but have seen them offered mostly in convenience stores (never in a flyshop) located in and around fishing areas.

[jszymczyk]

Stainless steel leader wire. The light stuff, I can't think right now the diameter, but it is rated at about 80lb test or so. I use round-jaw pliers for my loops and other small fine-nose pliers for other forming tasks. No need to buy a wire bender. A 25 yard coil of leader wire costs about $4 or so, and will make hundreds of spinners, so cost compared to mono is not an issue. The other problem with mono is that using a correct clevis for the spinner blade will eventually wear through and weaken/break the mono. There are plastic quick disconnect clevises which the walleye guys use for crawler harnesses, but they are not well suited to small trout spinners.