Granite Creek Trico Spinner
by @john
Trico Spinner · Dry fly
Tiny white wings over a cold canyon creek
A size 20 Trico spinner in black and white, with split tails and poly wings, for trout sipping the morning spinner fall.
A Trico spinner with a slim black body, long split white tails and bright white wings. It is tied from black superfine dubbing ribbed with white thread, white Microfibbets, white poly yarn and a sparse black hackle.
- Pattern
- Trico Spinner
- Imitates
- Trico spinner fall
- When
- typically late-summer and early-autumn mornings
- Hook
- size 20
- Tippet
- 7Xrule of three
- Size 20 hook for the Trico spinner fall
- Split white Microfibbet tails
- White poly wings easy to track
- Slim black body with white rib
- Sparse black hackle at the thorax
On the water
Black body, banded with thin white ribs. Two long white tails flare off the back, and white poly wings catch the light up front. A few black hackle fibers bristle at the thorax, all held against a clear creek full of granite and gold grass.
Fish it when the Trico spinners drop and trout start sipping in the flats and slow pools. Lay it down gently a little above the rings and let it drift dead, no drag, flush in the film.
Microfibbets make the tail. Split them wide with a small ball of thread so the fly sits level and the white fibers stay visible on the water.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 7Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Use a long leader down to 6X or 7X tippet for a soft, drag-free drift.
- Cast slightly upstream of a rising fish and let the fly drift down in the film.
- Grease the wings lightly; leave the body ungreased so it sits low.
Where and when
- Water
- South Platte River, Colorado Front Range
- Hatch
- Trico spinner falltypically late-summer and early-autumn mornings
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Slow pools, flat glides and spring creeks
- Also fishes
- Works through any small black mayfly spinner fall, and on still pools and tailwater flats where trout cruise and sip in the surface film.
Also on this water
- MidgeJan–Mar, Nov–Dec
- Blue-Winged OliveMar–Apr, Sep–Oct
- TricoJul–Aug
Fished out of Deckers, Lake George and Fairplay.
Make it yourself
Intermediate7 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
- RibWhite 8/0 thread
- BodyBlack superfine dubbing
- WingWhite poly yarn
- ThoraxBlack superfine dubbing
- HackleBlack dry-fly hackle
- HeadBlack 8/0 thread
Details
- Imitates
- Trico
- Colors
- Black, White
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (10)
- Mount the hook and start the black thread just behind the eye, wrapping a smooth base back to the bend.
- Build a tiny ball of thread at the bend, then tie in two white Microfibbets so they split on either side, about one and a half hook shanks long.
- Tie in the white rib thread at the bend and leave it hanging.
- Dub a thin, slightly tapered black body over the rear two-thirds of the shank.
- Wrap the white rib forward in four or five open, even turns and tie it off.
- Tie in a short length of white poly yarn at the two-thirds point, then figure-eight it into wings sitting out to the sides.
- Dub a small black thorax around the base of the wings, a touch fuller than the body.
- Tie in the black hackle and take two or three sparse turns through the thorax.
- Trim the wings to about a shank length and clip any stray hackle fibers below.
- 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.
- Body: rear two-thirds of the shank, slim and lightly tapered.
- Wings: each roughly one shank length.
- Hackle: sparse, two or three turns, fibers no longer than the hook gap.
Tips (4)
- Use very little dubbing; a Trico body is barely thicker than the thread.
- Keep the rib turns even so the white bands read as clean segments.
- Comb the poly yarn before tying in so the wings look light and fibrous.
- Pre-flatten the thread at the bend so the split tails seat without twisting.
Common mistakes (4)
- Tails folding together: build a firm thread ball first and post them on each side.
- Bulky thorax: dub in small pinches and stop once the wing base is covered.
- Overdressed hackle: limit it to two or three turns so the fly lies low in the film.
- Crowding the eye: leave space for the head before wrapping the hackle.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 20 · Materials only · 12 flies
$38.60
$3.22 a fly
Includes Tiemco 100 · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100$6.50
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
- White 8/0 thread$3.25
Materials
- White Microfibbets$3.50
- Black superfine dubbing$4.50
- Black dry-fly hackle$11.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · Materials only · 48 flies
$68.88
$1.44 a fly
Bought separately $72.50 · you save $3.62
Includes Tiemco 100 · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100$13
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$5.90
- White 8/0 thread$3.25
Materials
- White Microfibbets$7
- Black superfine dubbing$13.50
- Black dry-fly hackle$23.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · Materials only · 144 flies
$170.37
$1.18 a fly
Bought separately $193.60 · you save $23.23
Includes Tiemco 100 · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100$35
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$17.70
- White 8/0 thread$9.75
Materials
- White Microfibbets$17.50
- Black superfine dubbing$36
- Black dry-fly hackle$71.70
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 20 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$188.60
$15.72 a fly
Includes Tiemco 100 · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100$6.50
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
- White 8/0 thread$3.25
Materials
- White Microfibbets$3.50
- Black superfine dubbing$4.50
- Black dry-fly hackle$11.95
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
$211.38
$4.40 a fly
Bought separately $222.50 · you save $11.12
Includes Tiemco 100 · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100$13
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$5.90
- White 8/0 thread$3.25
Materials
- White Microfibbets$7
- Black superfine dubbing$13.50
- Black dry-fly hackle$23.90
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
$302.37
$2.10 a fly
Bought separately $343.60 · you save $41.23
Includes Tiemco 100 · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100$35
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$17.70
- White 8/0 thread$9.75
Materials
- White Microfibbets$17.50
- Black superfine dubbing$36
- Black dry-fly hackle$71.70
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
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Where this came from
fly pattern · made
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- trico
- spinner
- dry fly
- mayfly
- trout
- black
- white
- split tail
- poly wing
- spinner fall
- size 20
- spring creek