Spinner Wings

[brodzini]

i am looking to purchase or custom order old fashioned double(triple) wing rusty spinners with poly yarn wings....
if you can help, please advise
thanks

capt chuck
brodzini@cs.com

 

[Dcap240]

I've used CDC for some rusty and sulphur spinners and it seems to hold up ok but you need the feathers with the stem and not the puffs. I've bought some good looking bwo and sulphurs made with whatever that "real wing" material is but they never produced good for me. I use parachutes and regular Adams style flies a lot during spinner falls and they work also as long as they "match the hatch"

 

[gaeronf]

Here's an idea that I know several guides use. Tie your spinner how you normally would but tie it like a parachute. Now, rotate the fly so you are looking at the top. Trim any hackles pointing towards the eye or towards the tail. What results is a very floaty fly, with good visibility.

 

[afishinado]

gaeronf wrote:
Here's an idea that I know several guides use. Tie your spinner how you normally would but tie it like a parachute. Now, rotate the fly so you are looking at the top. Trim any hackles pointing towards the eye or towards the tail. What results is a very floaty fly, with good visibility.

I tie parachute hackle for many of my spinner patterns. I use a bright colored post for better visibility on the water and trim it short at the end. Instead of trimming the hackle fore and aft, I hold the hackle perpendicular to the shank and figure 8 around the hackle. Works well.

 

[Chaz]

As an addendum to what I already said, the naturals seldom hold their shape, why worry about it. Our mutual friend used either hackle or deer hair depnding on species imitated.
An alternative would e to use a compara dun pattern.

 

[troutbert]

jay348 wrote:
Not owning many wing materials, ive started using standard dry fly hackle as a wing and clipping the underside flat. I tend to wrap mine a little thinker (an extra wrap or two), but thats just preference.

Not the best pic, but you can kinda see what i mean. But anyway, clipping it flat makes it ride low and i'll just use little bit of floatant w/ the hackle.

That's how I tie spinner wings also. It's simple, realistic looking, and the trout love them.

Just wrap some hackle, and clip the bottom. That's it.

You can also clip the top, but I don't. I leave it there so the fly is easier to see on the water. That doesn't seem to bother the trout.

 

[tctrout]

In this video, I tied a high-visibility spinner using Antron/Zelon for the wings. I also have a piece of fabric from a wedding dress that has incredible fibers perfect for the translucent wings.

Using hackle is a great alternative, being that it allows the space between fibers to appear translucent like the original spinners. I have a friend who swears by individual hen hackles for each wing. Good luck!

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaQVGh-IcMQ[/youtube]

TC

 

[DJBerg]

On the line of floating materials, after reading his thread. I have this thought/question.

Standard sewing machine theead is siliconized as a lubricant to help it through the machine easier. So why not make the body out of sewing thread, and maybe a bit of antron dubbing just to add some shine to it as well?

This thought is based from rod building and you cant use standard thread via the silicone and epoxy dint like each other...

 

[tctrout]

That's an interesting idea, for sure. I sometimes prefer simply thread for the body bc I think too much dubbing gets it built-up quickly. Have you tied any with that material?

TC

 

[gfen]

Antron soaks water and sinks. Whatever shimmer you might gain is offset by the fact that your fly is now sinking.

 

[gutcutter]

gfen wrote:
Antron soaks water and sinks. Whatever shimmer you might gain is offset by the fact that your fly is now sinking.

Antron absorbs water - if untreated before it first gets wet. Rain-X inhibits that if applied prior to use.
Z-Lon, on the other hand repels water and floats nicely, even if untreated.
But, once the fly is thoroughly soaked, and the abdomen, thorax and wings are waterlogged, even hollow deer hair won't keep it on top or in the film.
The best way to keep any spinner pattern on top, is to dry it off (false cast) or squeeze all of the water out with a chamois, paper towel or toilet paper or whatever else you have on hand.

 

[JackM]

Powdered dessicant after squeezing or blowing against or both. Non-absorbency does seem to be an advantage.

 

[gutcutter]

That is an excellent point, Jack. If you apply dessicant to a soaked fly, it retains the waterlogged body/wings under the powder, essentially preventing it from drying out.
One of the complaints I often hear about dessicants is that you have to reapply it so often. That doesn't happen if you squeegey the fly before you apply the powder.