Sagebrush Morning Trico Spinner
by @john
Trico Spinner · Dry fly
Spent wings on a still summer morning
A size 20 Trico spinner dry fly in black and white, with spent poly wings, for trout sipping the morning spinner fall.
A tiny Trico spinner lies spent, with long split tails and wings stretched flat. Its slim black dubbed body and thorax sit between bright white Microfibbetts and poly yarn wings.
- Pattern
- Trico Spinner
- Imitates
- Trico spinner fall
- When
- typically summer and early-fall mornings
- Hook
- size 20
- Tippet
- 7Xrule of three
- Size 20 dry-fly hook
- Spent white poly yarn wings
- Long split Microfibbett tails
- Slim black dubbed body and thorax
- Matches the Trico spinner fall
On the water
A slender black body, barely thicker than the hook shank. White tails flare in a long V behind it. Two white poly wings lie flat out to the sides, crossed over a small black thorax. Behind it, a green river runs past dry, tan hills.
Tricos fall spent onto flats and glides, and trout settle in to sip them in tight rhythm. Put this one a foot above a riser on a drag-free drift. Let it sit flush in the film and do nothing at all.
Figure-eight wraps lock the poly yarn wings flat and square to the hook. Cross the thread between them a few times, then cover the crossing with a pinch of black dubbing so the thorax stays small and neat.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 7Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Rig on 6X or 7X tippet, at least three feet long, to keep the drift drag-free.
- Fish it in the surface film; a light touch of floatant on the wings only keeps the body low.
- Trail it behind a larger, more visible dry if the spent wings are hard to follow in glare.
Where and when
- Water
- Bighorn River, South-central Montana
- Hatch
- Trico spinner falltypically summer and early-fall mornings
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Slow flats, glides and back eddies on tailwaters and spring creeks
- Also fishes
- Also fishes as a small black spinner for other tiny mayflies, and during midge sipping on calm pools and stillwater edges.
Also on this water
- BaetisMar–Apr, Sep–Oct
- TricoAug–Sep
- Black CaddisAug–Sep
Fished out of Fort Smith and Hardin.
Make it yourself
Intermediate4 materials · 11 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 Microfibbetts
- 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 (11)
- Mount the size 20 dry-fly hook in the vise and start the black 8/0 thread behind the eye.
- Wrap a thin thread base back to the bend.
- Tie in two to four white Microfibbetts on top at the bend, about one and a half hook lengths long.
- Split the tails into a wide V with a figure-eight wrap and a turn of thread under them.
- Dub a very thin layer of black superfine dubbing onto the thread.
- Wrap the dubbed body forward to about two-thirds of the shank, keeping it slim.
- Tie in a short length of white poly yarn across the shank at the two-thirds point.
- Lock the poly yarn flat and spent with several figure-eight wraps.
- Trim each wing to about one hook length from the tie-in point.
- Dub a small pinch of black superfine dubbing and figure-eight it around the wing base to form the thorax.
- Build a tiny head behind the eye and whip finish.
Proportions (4)
- Tail: about one and a half hook lengths, split in a wide V.
- Body: thin and tapered, covering the rear two-thirds of the shank.
- Wings: each about one hook length long, lying flat at right angles to the shank.
- Thorax: only slightly fatter than the body, filling the front third.
Tips (3)
- Use the least dubbing you can; a spinner body should look like little more than thread.
- Comb the poly yarn fibres straight before trimming so the wings sit flat and even.
- Leave a clear gap behind the eye before the thorax so the head stays tiny.
Common mistakes (3)
- Wings that ride up instead of lying flat. Add more figure-eight wraps and pull the yarn level before trimming.
- A thick, lumpy body. Twist the dubbing tight and thin, and add more only if the thread shows.
- Tails that collapse together. Put a turn of thread between them at the bend to hold the split.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 20 · Materials only · 12 flies
$23.40
$1.95 a fly
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 5 more
Every item in this kit · 6 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- White Microfibbetts$3.50
- Black superfine dubbing$4.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · Materials only · 48 flies
$40.28
$0.84 a fly
Bought separately $42.40 · you save $2.12
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 5 more
Every item in this kit · 6 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- White Microfibbetts$7
- Black superfine dubbing$13.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · Materials only · 144 flies
$90.90
$0.63 a fly
Bought separately $103.30 · you save $12.40
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 5 more
Every item in this kit · 6 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$8.85
Materials
- White Microfibbetts$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
$173.40
$14.45 a fly
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 14 more
Every item in this kit · 15 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- White Microfibbetts$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
$182.78
$3.81 a fly
Bought separately $192.40 · you save $9.62
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 14 more
Every item in this kit · 15 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- White Microfibbetts$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
$222.90
$1.55 a fly
Bought separately $253.30 · you save $30.40
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 14 more
Every item in this kit · 15 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$8.85
Materials
- White Microfibbetts$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
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Where this came from
fly pattern · made
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- trico
- spinner
- dry fly
- trico spinner
- spent wing
- mayfly
- tailwater
- trout
- size 20
- black
- poly yarn
- microfibbetts