Daybreak Glass Trico Spinner
by @sunny
Trico Spinner · Dry fly
First light on a glassy green flat
A spent Trico spinner dry fly in black and white, size 20, for trout sipping the morning spinner fall on slow water.
A Trico spinner dry fly with spent white wings and a slim black body. White poly yarn wings, split white Microfibbet tails and a fuzzy black dubbed thorax finish it.
- Pattern
- Trico Spinner
- Imitates
- Trico spinner fall, typically late-summer and early-fall mornings
- Hook
- size 20
- Tippet
- 7Xrule of three
- Spent white poly yarn wings
- Split white Microfibbet tails
- Slim black thread abdomen
- Size 20 dry fly hook
- Matches the morning Trico spinner fall
On the water
Two white wings lie flat and wide, like a tiny cross. A thin black thread body runs back to two split white tails. Behind it, the green water sits still and the sky turns soft and pink.
Fish it when the spinners drop and the flat goes quiet with rings. Cast a few feet above a steady riser and let it ride dead drift, flush in the film. No twitches. Just a clean, drag-free float.
Split tails make the fly sit right. Separate the two Microfibbets with a small thread wrap between them so they spread wide and help the fly land flat and spent.
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 so the fly drifts without drag.
- Fish it in the surface film, dead drift, and lead the rise by a foot or two.
- Low light makes the black body hard to track; watch the white wings instead.
Where and when
- Water
- Bighorn River, South-central Montana
- Hatch
- Trico spinner fall, typically late-summer and early-fall mornings
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Slow flats, tailwater glides and spring creeks
- Also fishes
- Also works as a small black midge or spent mayfly on spring creeks, ponds and calm tailwater back eddies.
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 · 11 steps
- Pattern
- Trico Spinner
- Style
- Dry fly
- Hook
- TMC 100 dry fly hooksize 20
- Thread
- Black 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- TailWhite Microfibbets
- BodyBlack 8/0 thread
- WingWhite poly yarn
- 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 (11)
- Mount the hook in the vise and start the black thread just behind the eye.
- Wrap the thread back to the bend in close, flat turns.
- Tie in two white Microfibbets on top of the shank, about one and a half shank lengths long.
- Take one thread wrap between the fibers to split them into a wide V.
- Build a slim, smooth thread abdomen forward to the 70 percent point of the shank.
- Lay the white poly yarn across the shank at that point and lock it in with figure-eight wraps.
- Pull both wings out flat so they sit spent, straight out to each side.
- Dub a thin noodle of black superfine dubbing and figure-eight it around the wing base to form the thorax.
- Form a small, neat thread head behind the eye.
- Whip finish and trim the thread.
- Comb the yarn out and trim each wing to about one shank length.
Proportions (4)
- Tails: about one and a half times the shank length, split wide.
- Abdomen: rear 70 percent of the shank, kept pencil thin.
- Wings: each one about the length of the hook shank, lying flat.
- Thorax: front 30 percent of the shank, just slightly fuller than the abdomen.
Tips (3)
- Flatten the thread by spinning the bobbin so the abdomen stays smooth and slim.
- Use only a sparse amount of poly yarn; thin wings land softly and sit lower.
- Trim the wings after tying so both sides come out equal.
Common mistakes (4)
- Bulky thorax: dub very little and wrap tight to keep the fly slim.
- Tails stuck together: add the dividing wrap firmly so they stay split.
- Crooked wings: use figure-eight wraps and check from above before dubbing.
- Crowded eye: leave room behind the eye for the head and whip finish.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 20 · Materials only · 12 flies
$23.40
$1.95 a fly
Includes TMC 100 dry fly hook · and 5 more
Every item in this kit · 6 items
Hooks & beads
- TMC 100 dry fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
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
$41.61
$0.87 a fly
Bought separately $43.80 · you save $2.19
Includes TMC 100 dry fly hook · and 5 more
Every item in this kit · 6 items
Hooks & beads
- TMC 100 dry fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$8.85
Materials
- White Microfibbets$7
- Black superfine dubbing$9
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 20 · Materials only · 144 flies
$90.64
$0.63 a fly
Bought separately $103 · you save $12.36
Includes TMC 100 dry fly hook · and 5 more
Every item in this kit · 6 items
Hooks & beads
- TMC 100 dry fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$26.55
Materials
- White Microfibbets$17.50
- 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
$173.40
$14.45 a fly
Includes TMC 100 dry fly hook · and 14 more
Every item in this kit · 15 items
Hooks & beads
- TMC 100 dry fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
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
$184.11
$3.84 a fly
Bought separately $193.80 · you save $9.69
Includes TMC 100 dry fly hook · and 14 more
Every item in this kit · 15 items
Hooks & beads
- TMC 100 dry fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$8.85
Materials
- White Microfibbets$7
- 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
$222.64
$1.55 a fly
Bought separately $253 · you save $30.36
Includes TMC 100 dry fly hook · and 14 more
Every item in this kit · 15 items
Hooks & beads
- TMC 100 dry fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$26.55
Materials
- White Microfibbets$17.50
- 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
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- trico
- spinner
- dry fly
- spent wing
- trout
- size 20
- black
- white
- spinner fall
- tailwater
- spring creek
- mayfly