Fountains of Youth – Classic trout flies that have withstood the test of time … flies that remain “forever young”
by Rusty Dunn
A few dozen miles southeast of London lie peaceful valleys of the Hampshire countryside, where legendary rivers such as the Avon, Test, and Itchen flow to the sea through wooded meadows of magnificent beauty. Fed by mineral rich springs of a “chalk” (white limestone) aquifer, the rivers support immense populations of insects and trout. The area is steeped in tradition, and some of angling’s finest literature sprang from its gin clear waters.
George Edward Mackenzie Skues, one of history’s most insightful and entertaining angler authors, boards the two o’clock train in London bound for the cathedral city of Winchester in central Hampshire. Worldly concerns of his busy London law practice fade away as Skues prepares for the evening rise at Abbott’s Barton on the River Itchen. He settles into a window seat on the sunny side of the train and pulls out his portable fly tying kit. He glances out the window and discovers a welcome traveling companion. A splendid blue-winged olive spinner sits beside him on the lower ledge of the carriage window. Skues affixes a hook to his hand vise and carefully blends seal’s fur to match the spinner’s reddish-brown color. He selects orange thread, which glows faintly through the dubbing and gives a fiery translucence much like that of his traveling companion. That evening, Skues’ handiwork fools several large and wary trout. He later christens the fly the “Rusty Spinner” in his 1921 book The Way of a Trout With a Fly.
Skues’ fly was the first to be called “Rusty Spinner” by name, but similar flies had been tied since the Middle Ages. Indeed, the very first English text devoted to angling described twelve artificial flies in 1496, one of which (the “Ruddy Fly”) is a mayfly spinner. Spinners are sexually mature mayfly adults, having developed from recently hatched duns following a streamside molt. Spinners of a surprisingly large proportion of mayfly species are reddish-brown in color, very similar to Skues’ rusty-red seal’s fur. Spinner imitations through the centuries bear many charming names, including Mahogany Spinner, Sherry Spinner, Houghton Ruby, Jenny Spinner, Lunn’s Particular, Claret Spinner, Rusty Spinner, and many others.
The wings of all mayfly spinners are glassy clear (“hyaline”), and their imitation plagued fly tyers for centuries. Author Francis Francis described the challenge of imitating spinner wings:
“The wings – ah! those wings! What shall we do to imitate their clear, delicate, watery transparency?” – A Book on Angling, 1867
History’s quest for imitative spinner wings included all sorts of peculiar materials, including trimmed fish scales, shavings of whale bone, and the clear membranous roots of wing quills. Prior to the late 1800s, spinner imitations were primarily hackled wet flies. Wings (if present) were tied either upright and divided or sloping backwards. Englishman G.S. Marryat, the great pioneer of dry fly fishing, was the first to tie spinner wings in the now standard position outstretched horizontally at the water’s surface. Marryat’s wings were tips of hackle feathers. America’s Vince Marinaro contributed an elegant and remarkably functional style of spinner wings in A Modern Dry Fly Code (1950). He tied spinners with a thick collar of hackle at the thorax and then trimmed fibers from the top and bottom, leaving only those pointed laterally. Coloradan John Betts devised in the 1970s the simple and effective imitation of spinner wings that persists to this day. Betts introduced and popularized synthetic materials such as white organza, polypropylene, Z-lon, nylon microfibetts, and Zing Wing to American fly tyers. He was one of the 20th century’s most original and creative fly tyers, earning Betts the nickname “Mr. Synthetics”.
Look for mayfly spinners in glassy smooth waters in the evenings and early mornings. Riseforms to spinners are slow and deliberate, and your presentations should land softly on very fine tippets. Fishing spinners will allow you to enjoy dry fly fishing right through to the very last stage of a mayfly hatch.
Copyright 2018, Rusty Dunn
Rusty Spinner
The widely split tail fibers of microfibetts aids floatation of spinner imitations. Both the tails and wings should be treated with floatant.
| Hook: |
Dry fly, size to match natural |
| Thread: |
Orange, 8/0 or smaller |
| Tail: |
Medium dun microfibetts, split widely |
| Body: |
Dry fly dubbing, a rich mahogany reddish brown |
| Wings: |
Fibers of white Z-lon, Antron, poly yarn, or other sparkly synthetic, bundled and spread laterally at the thorax |
Rusty Spinner
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Last Updated: November 1, 2018 by Drew Kasel
by Rusty Dunn
A few dozen miles southeast of London lie peaceful valleys of the Hampshire countryside, where legendary rivers such as the Avon, Test, and Itchen flow to the sea through wooded meadows of magnificent beauty. Fed by mineral rich springs of a “chalk” (white limestone) aquifer, the rivers support immense populations of insects and trout. The area is steeped in tradition, and some of angling’s finest literature sprang from its gin clear waters.
George Edward Mackenzie Skues, one of history’s most insightful and entertaining angler authors, boards the two o’clock train in London bound for the cathedral city of Winchester in central Hampshire. Worldly concerns of his busy London law practice fade away as Skues prepares for the evening rise at Abbott’s Barton on the River Itchen. He settles into a window seat on the sunny side of the train and pulls out his portable fly tying kit. He glances out the window and discovers a welcome traveling companion. A splendid blue-winged olive spinner sits beside him on the lower ledge of the carriage window. Skues affixes a hook to his hand vise and carefully blends seal’s fur to match the spinner’s reddish-brown color. He selects orange thread, which glows faintly through the dubbing and gives a fiery translucence much like that of his traveling companion. That evening, Skues’ handiwork fools several large and wary trout. He later christens the fly the “Rusty Spinner” in his 1921 book The Way of a Trout With a Fly.
Skues’ fly was the first to be called “Rusty Spinner” by name, but similar flies had been tied since the Middle Ages. Indeed, the very first English text devoted to angling described twelve artificial flies in 1496, one of which (the “Ruddy Fly”) is a mayfly spinner. Spinners are sexually mature mayfly adults, having developed from recently hatched duns following a streamside molt. Spinners of a surprisingly large proportion of mayfly species are reddish-brown in color, very similar to Skues’ rusty-red seal’s fur. Spinner imitations through the centuries bear many charming names, including Mahogany Spinner, Sherry Spinner, Houghton Ruby, Jenny Spinner, Lunn’s Particular, Claret Spinner, Rusty Spinner, and many others.
The wings of all mayfly spinners are glassy clear (“hyaline”), and their imitation plagued fly tyers for centuries. Author Francis Francis described the challenge of imitating spinner wings:
“The wings – ah! those wings! What shall we do to imitate their clear, delicate, watery transparency?” – A Book on Angling, 1867
History’s quest for imitative spinner wings included all sorts of peculiar materials, including trimmed fish scales, shavings of whale bone, and the clear membranous roots of wing quills. Prior to the late 1800s, spinner imitations were primarily hackled wet flies. Wings (if present) were tied either upright and divided or sloping backwards. Englishman G.S. Marryat, the great pioneer of dry fly fishing, was the first to tie spinner wings in the now standard position outstretched horizontally at the water’s surface. Marryat’s wings were tips of hackle feathers. America’s Vince Marinaro contributed an elegant and remarkably functional style of spinner wings in A Modern Dry Fly Code (1950). He tied spinners with a thick collar of hackle at the thorax and then trimmed fibers from the top and bottom, leaving only those pointed laterally. Coloradan John Betts devised in the 1970s the simple and effective imitation of spinner wings that persists to this day. Betts introduced and popularized synthetic materials such as white organza, polypropylene, Z-lon, nylon microfibetts, and Zing Wing to American fly tyers. He was one of the 20th century’s most original and creative fly tyers, earning Betts the nickname “Mr. Synthetics”.
Look for mayfly spinners in glassy smooth waters in the evenings and early mornings. Riseforms to spinners are slow and deliberate, and your presentations should land softly on very fine tippets. Fishing spinners will allow you to enjoy dry fly fishing right through to the very last stage of a mayfly hatch.
Copyright 2018, Rusty Dunn
Rusty Spinner
The widely split tail fibers of microfibetts aids floatation of spinner imitations. Both the tails and wings should be treated with floatant.
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