The following is quoted from Tom Travis’ final installment in his five part Eye of the Guide series.
“Pale Morning Dun Wet Spinner Style Two
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[li]Hook: TMC 101[/li][li]Sizes: 16-20[/li][li]Thread: Rusty or Sandy Dun 8/0 or 12/0[/li][li]Tails: Lite Dun wet hen hackles, tied long[/li][li]Abdomen: PMD Turkey Biot, wrapped[/li][li]Wings: Lite Dun wet hen hackle, wrapped in the wing position and then the fibers are gathered into two bundles on either side in the spent position and posted: which is done by wrapping thread around the base of each wing. I use one size larger hackle for this type of imitation so that the wings will be the proper size.[/li][li]Thorax: Dubbed, with muskrat or beaver fur, dyed PMD[/li][/ul]Note: The posting of the wings keeps them from folding back along the body, thus ensuring the proper silhouette of the spinner that is barely sunk beneath the film.”
After reading the bold comments several times, I’m not getting what Tom is describing. Anyone care to take a shot at clarifying it for me ?? Pix would help !!
This is how I do spinner wings also. Tie in your hackle and wrap it forward in touching turns like dry fly hackle. If you have a rotary vise turn it 90 degrees so the hook bend is parallel to the table. Now use your fingers to form all of the barbules above the hook into a single bunch and wrap around the base of this bunch like a parachute post. Turn the hook over and form a bunch with the remaining fibers and do the same thing. If you do this with cock hackle it makes an excellent floating spinner.
Thanks, guys. RBC’s technique is pretty close to what I think Tom is getting at, at least now that RBC has described his approach the way he has. Neil indicated that he would have Tom clarify the method when he gets the chance. Should be something posted in the Eye of the Guide thread soon.
This is, what is known as a ‘Sunk’ spinner over here.
The winging technique is basically, dressing a spider hackle, hen or cock, at the spent wing position,
then stroking the fibres either side, and then using figure eight turns to hold them in place.
Finally covering the thorax in an appropriately coloured dubbing.
The winging technique is used for both floating and sunk spent spinners.
The best advice I know, was written by Roger Woolley in 1932, in his book
“Modern Trout Fly Dressing”, page 113.
It appears to be a bit antiquated now, but if you can get past that, I think it is one of the best
books on fly dressing ever written. It was published right up to 1950 (Third edition).
On first viewing it does not appear impressive, no colour pictures, a small pocket book size,
218 pages, but it was highly recommended by Sylvester Nemes.
I use this tying technique on what I consider to be my best spinner patterns. Although it takes a bit longer to tie them that way, I think they end up being more realistic, and more durable.
I generally use a top grade white Whiting rooster hackle, wraping it 5-6 times around the hook, very close together. After I tie the hackle off, I use my thumbnails to push the hackle together as much as possible before making the figure eight turns with the tying thread to splay the barbules perpendicular to each side of the hook shank. I then clip off any loose hackles that remain sticking up at the top or bottom before dubbing the thorax, as you mention.
Unlike Z-lon or Antron, these hackle wings stay permanently splayed in place, and don’t mat together after they are wet, or you’ve caught a few fish on your fly.
I actually do a similar thing when tying hackle-wing spinners, but I tie the fly parachute style using a bright colored poly yarn post. I gather and tie the wings as described above, and clip the post short to add visibility when the fly is on the water. It works well for me. Good stuff.
Anyone care to take a shot at clarifying it for me ?? Pix would help !!