Snowbank Black Trico Spinner
by @sunny
Trico Spinner · Dry fly
Black and white over winter water
A size 20 Trico spinner dry fly in black and white, for trout sipping tiny mayflies on slow, clear water.
A Trico spinner with a slim black body, white tail fibers and a swept white poly wing. Black thread is banded with white rib, and a spiky black thorax of dubbing and hackle sits behind a neat black head.
- Pattern
- Trico Spinner
- Imitates
- Trico spinner fall, typically summer into early fall, mid-morning
- Hook
- size 20
- Tippet
- 7Xrule of three
- Size 20 dry-fly hook
- Split white Microfibbet tail
- White poly wing for visibility
- Black thread body with white rib
- Spiky black dubbed and hackled thorax
On the water
Stark black thread, crisp white bands, and a white wing that catches the eye against snow and grey granite. A few long white fibers trail behind, and a bristly black thorax gives the little fly some shoulders.
Fish it where trout rise in slow rhythm on flats and pool tails. Lay it a foot above the rings on a long, light leader and let it drift dead, no drag, no twitch. The white wing helps you track something this small on flat water.
Microfibbets make the tail. Split them into a wide V with a turn of thread between, and the fly sits flat and balanced in the film.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 7Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Use 6X or 7X tippet and a leader of 10 to 12 feet for flat, clear water.
- Cast slightly upstream of a rising fish and feed slack so the fly drifts drag-free.
- On a flat surface, dab floatant on the wing and tail only, keeping the body in the film.
Where and when
- Water
- South Platte River, Colorado Front Range
- Hatch
- Trico spinner fall, typically summer into early fall, mid-morning
- Target
- Brown trout, Rainbow trout
- Water type
- Slow flats, glassy tailwater runs and soft pool tails
- Also fishes
- Doubles as a small black midge on winter tailwaters, and works as a visible lead fly in front of a tiny emerger.
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
- Dry-fly hooksize 20
- Thread
- Black 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- TailWhite Microfibbets
- RibWhite 8/0 thread
- BodyBlack 8/0 thread
- WingWhite poly yarn
- HackleBlack rooster hackle
- ThoraxBlack Superfine dubbing
- 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 size 20 dry-fly hook and start the black 8/0 thread behind the eye, wrapping a thin base to the bend.
- Tie in three or four white Microfibbets, about 1.5 times the shank long, and split them into a V with a figure-eight of thread.
- Tie in a length of white 8/0 thread at the bend for the rib.
- Wrap the black thread forward in a smooth, slim taper to two-thirds up the shank.
- Spiral the white rib forward in four or five even bands, tie it off and trim.
- Tie in a small clump of white poly yarn on top, angled up and back, about shank length, and trim the butts.
- Tie in a black rooster hackle with fibers about one hook gap long.
- Dub a thin noodle of black Superfine and wrap a small thorax around the wing base.
- Wrap the hackle two or three turns through the thorax, tie off and trim.
- Build a small, neat black thread head, whip finish and cut the thread.
Proportions (5)
- Tail: about 1.5 times the shank length, split into a wide V.
- Body: rear two-thirds of the shank, slim and tapered.
- Wing: roughly shank length, swept up and back.
- Hackle: fibers about one hook gap long, two or three turns only.
- Thorax: front third of the shank, slightly fuller than the body.
Tips (4)
- Flatten the thread by spinning it counter-clockwise so the body stays slim and smooth.
- Keep rib turns evenly spaced; four or five bands read clearly at size 20.
- Use very little dubbing; a thorax this small fills fast.
- Leave room behind the eye before you start the thorax so the head stays neat.
Common mistakes (4)
- Bulky body from too many thread wraps; lay one tight layer and taper with care.
- Tail fibers bunched together; separate them with a thread wrap so the fly lands upright.
- Wing too long, which twists tippet; trim it to shank length.
- Too much hackle hides the wing; stop at two or three turns.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 20 · Materials only · 12 flies
$38.60
$3.22 a fly
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
- White 8/0 thread$3.25
Materials
- White Microfibbets$3.50
- Black rooster hackle$11.95
- Black Superfine dubbing$4.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · Materials only · 48 flies
$67.40
$1.40 a fly
Bought separately $70.95 · you save $3.55
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$8.85
- White 8/0 thread$3.25
Materials
- White Microfibbets$7
- Black rooster hackle$23.90
- Black Superfine dubbing$9
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · Materials only · 144 flies
$162.32
$1.13 a fly
Bought separately $184.45 · you save $22.13
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$26.55
- White 8/0 thread$9.75
Materials
- White Microfibbets$17.50
- Black rooster hackle$71.70
- Black Superfine dubbing$18
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 Dry-fly hook · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
- White 8/0 thread$3.25
Materials
- White Microfibbets$3.50
- Black rooster hackle$11.95
- 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
$209.90
$4.37 a fly
Bought separately $220.95 · you save $11.05
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$8.85
- White 8/0 thread$3.25
Materials
- White Microfibbets$7
- Black rooster hackle$23.90
- Black Superfine dubbing$9
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
$294.32
$2.04 a fly
Bought separately $334.45 · you save $40.13
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$26.55
- White 8/0 thread$9.75
Materials
- White Microfibbets$17.50
- Black rooster hackle$71.70
- Black Superfine dubbing$18
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
- size 20
- black
- white
- trout
- tailwater
- winter
- microfibbets
- poly wing