Bighorn Sage Trico Spinner
by @dekasso
Trico Spinner · Dry fly
Spent wings on a still morning flat
A size 20 Trico spinner dry fly in black and white, with spent poly wings and split tails, for trout sipping a spinner fall.
A Trico spinner with a slim black ribbed abdomen, a round black thorax and white wings laid out flat. Long split white tails trail behind, all in black superfine dubbing, fine black wire and white poly yarn.
- Pattern
- Trico Spinner
- Imitates
- Trico spinner fall, typically late-summer and early-autumn mornings
- Hook
- size 20
- Tippet
- 7Xrule of three
- Size 20 dry-fly hook
- Spent white poly yarn wings
- Split white Microfibbet tails
- Black wire ribbed abdomen
- Matches the Trico spinner fall
On the water
Black on white, nothing else. A thin ribbed abdomen leads to a round dark thorax, and the white wings fan out flat on both sides. Two long tails split wide behind, catching the low light off the river.
Tie it on when the clouds of tiny mayflies have danced, mated and dropped to the surface. Trout work the slow flats and tailouts in steady rhythm. Cast a few feet above the rise and let it drift dead, flat and still in the film.
The split tails matter more than they look. Spread the Microfibbets wide with a small ball of dubbing at the bend, and the fly lands upright and rides low, wings pinned to the water like a spent insect.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 7Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Fish 6X or 7X tippet on a long leader so the fly drifts without drag.
- Drift it dead in the film, no twitch; spinners lie flat and still.
- Pick one rising fish and time the cast to its rhythm.
Where and when
- Water
- Bighorn River, South-central Montana
- Hatch
- Trico spinner fall, typically late-summer and early-autumn mornings
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Slow flats, tailouts and glassy tailwater pools
- Also fishes
- Also fishes as a general small black spinner on spring creeks, still pools and lake edges when tiny mayflies fall.
Also on this water
- BaetisMar–Apr, Sep–Oct
- TricoAug–Sep
- Black CaddisAug–Sep
Fished out of Fort Smith and Hardin.
Make it yourself
Intermediate5 materials · 10 steps
- Pattern
- Trico Spinner
- Style
- Dry fly
- Hook
- Tiemco 100size 20
- Thread
- Black 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- TailWhite Microfibbets
- RibFine black wire
- BodyBlack superfine dubbing
- WingWhite poly yarn
- ThoraxBlack superfine dubbing
Details
- Imitates
- Trico
- Colors
- Black, White
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (10)
- Mount the size 20 hook and lay a thin base of black 8/0 thread to the bend.
- Dub a tiny ball of black dubbing at the bend to act as a splitter for the tails.
- Tie in two white Microfibbets, one each side of the ball, about one and a half hook shanks long and split wide.
- Tie in the fine black wire at the bend.
- Dub a thin, tapered black abdomen over the rear two thirds of the shank.
- Wind the wire forward in four or five even turns to segment the body, then tie off and trim.
- Tie in a short length of white poly yarn across the shank with figure-eight wraps so it sits spent at right angles.
- Dub a slightly fuller black thorax, wrapping around and behind the wings to hold them flat.
- Trim the wings to about one shank length per side.
- Build a small neat head and whip finish.
Proportions (4)
- Tails: about one and a half times the hook shank, split in a wide V.
- Abdomen: rear two thirds of the shank, slim and tapered.
- Wings: each side roughly one shank length, laid flat and level.
- Thorax: front third of the shank, rounder than the abdomen.
Tips (4)
- Keep the dubbing very sparse on the abdomen; a size 20 body bulks up fast.
- Comb the poly yarn fibres out before trimming so the wings look airy.
- Use a few figure-eight wraps of dubbing around the wings to lock them flat.
- Leave room behind the eye so the head stays small.
Common mistakes (4)
- Tails folding together: build the dubbing ball first and tie each fibre against it.
- Wings swept back: use firm figure-eight wraps so they sit at right angles to the shank.
- Crowding the eye: stop the thorax a few thread wraps short of it.
- Thick ribbing turns: keep wire turns even and few so the body stays slim.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 20 · Materials only · 12 flies
$26.65
$2.22 a fly
Includes Tiemco 100 · and 6 more
Every item in this kit · 7 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100$6.50
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
- Fine black wire$3.25
Materials
- White Microfibbets$3.50
- Black superfine dubbing$4.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · Materials only · 48 flies
$43.37
$0.90 a fly
Bought separately $45.65 · you save $2.28
Includes Tiemco 100 · and 6 more
Every item in this kit · 7 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100$13
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
- Fine black wire$3.25
Materials
- White Microfibbets$7
- Black superfine dubbing$13.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · Materials only · 144 flies
$99.48
$0.69 a fly
Bought separately $113.05 · you save $13.57
Includes Tiemco 100 · and 6 more
Every item in this kit · 7 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100$35
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$8.85
- Fine black wire$9.75
Materials
- White Microfibbets$17.50
- Black superfine dubbing$36
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 20 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$176.65
$14.72 a fly
Includes Tiemco 100 · and 15 more
Every item in this kit · 16 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100$6.50
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
- Fine black wire$3.25
Materials
- White Microfibbets$3.50
- Black superfine dubbing$4.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$185.87
$3.87 a fly
Bought separately $195.65 · you save $9.78
Includes Tiemco 100 · and 15 more
Every item in this kit · 16 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100$13
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
- Fine black wire$3.25
Materials
- White Microfibbets$7
- Black superfine dubbing$13.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$231.48
$1.61 a fly
Bought separately $263.05 · you save $31.57
Includes Tiemco 100 · and 15 more
Every item in this kit · 16 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100$35
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$8.85
- Fine black wire$9.75
Materials
- White Microfibbets$17.50
- Black superfine dubbing$36
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
fly pattern · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- trico
- spinner
- dry fly
- mayfly
- trout
- black
- white
- spent wing
- tailwater
- bighorn
- small dry
- spinner fall