FLYMPH FORUM

In "Brook & River Trouting" the authors list two winged wet fly spinners. I don't think that I've ever seen an example online anywhere. Has anyone tied any of these?

There is a Red Spinner, #26 and a Ginger Spinner, #23 shown in B&RT, both using hackle fiber wings, and also two very modern dry spent spinners, #s 35 & 36 with split and divided hackle wings.
I have been tying and fishing versions of winged wet fly spinners for many years, in fact I just dressed some on size 16 Sneck hooks. I'll try to post some pics soon. I use pale starling primaries and secondaries for the wings, which I often split. The Red Spinner is a pattern that appears in many books over a long period of time so it must have had some success. There were a number of published patterns for the fly but I have settled on the following as being both effective and reasonably authentic.

Hook: TMC 3769 size 12-16
Tails: 3 fairly long light dun hackle fibers.
Body: Fine rusty red crewel wool teased apart and dubbed on either Pearsall's #11a, Scarlet, #6a, Orange or #19, Hot Orange depending on how light or dark I want the body. Other furs or a simple thread body work well also.
Rib: Fine gold wire.
Wings: Rolled starling primary or secondary, either as a single down wing or split and divided.
Hackle: Red brown or Greenwell, fairly long.

You can also tie it as a lighter pattern using a color palate more suitable to the Sulfurs, Pale Morning Duns, or Pale Wateries, but I've found that the rusty/red pattern works best for me.

I believe that many of the popular Spider patterns may be taken as submerged spinners, especially the Partridge & Orange. This can be a very effective fly during Hendrickson time in the Catskills.

Thanks John for the awesome reply. I bought quite a bit of undyed crewel wool from England. Not sure if I dyed any that color so I’ll have to check.

Sorry for the poor quality photo but this should give a good idea of my interpretation of the Red Spinner wet fly.

Thanks John. That’s exactly what I needed, a photo.

Very interesting topic - long may it live!

I like these spinners.

(Not much of an addition to the topic, I know). I suppose that not a few of the nibblings on our offerings by the poorly educated fish are aimed at drowned spinners whatever our intentions were.

dd

Interesting topic. Thanks for bringing it up, Bill. John, excellent response and impeccable fly dressing, as always.

For a traditional pattern, how about the Female Beaverkill wet?
Using this fly for a starting point, I've tied "wet rusty spinners"/"soft hackle spinners" with an egg sack and soft hackle. I've had my best luck with them following a Hendrickson or March Brown spinner fall. Tie it on a dry fly hook and fish it in the film, or tie it on a heavier hook to fish as a drowned spinner (usually the morning after the spinner fall).
Thread: Rusty Brown, Uni 8/0 or similar.
Tail: A few hackle fibers.
Egg Sack: Fine yellow/orange dubbing.
Body: Rusty/Mahogany dubbing.
Rib: Optional, fine gold tinsel or wire.
Hackle: Soft dun, cree, etc.
Wings: Optional. I've used duck primary slips (traditional material), hen body feather clumps (a better wet fly wing, in my opinion) and you can also add a touch of antron, zelon, or other yarn to the wing material, or you may also consider tying the wing from strands of yarn.
So, this can be tied as a soft hackle or a winged wet, tyer's choice.
Tim

Tim,

Good post. The Female Beaverkill was considered a go to fly during the height of the spring hatches in the Catskills for many years. I'm sure that it and many other winged wet fly patterns were and are taken for spinners. The down wing aspect of these flies mimics a drowned mayfly or caddis quite well and wing materials such as mallard and wood duck flank feathers and duck quill slips can look very natural. A down wing wet also has a good entry into the water and fishes effectively on the swing, an advantage when covering larger rivers. My friend Galen Mercer and I have been bitten by the wet fly bug recently and are looking forward to fishing a number of traditional patterns in the Catskills this coming spring. I'll have to add the "Nice Nelly" Lady Beaverkill to my list of patterns to dress.

It's gonna be a wet fly season this year ! That's for sure!!!!

Tom!