Fly Tying Inventory
Trico Spinner
A delicate spent-wing spinner pattern imitating the Tricorythodes mayfly, one of the smallest and most challenging hatches in fly fishing. Advanced by Vince Marinaro's spent wing concepts and refined by tyers like Charlie Craven and Barry Beck. The tiny size, spent wing profile, and need for perfect dead-drift presentation make this a technical pattern that rewards skilled anglers during late-summer morning spinner falls.
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Materials
Fine wire dry fly hook (TMC 101, TMC 2488), sizes 18-24
Black 8/0 to 16/0
Black Microfibbets or dark dun hackle fibers, splayed (3 fibers)
Black Superfine dry fly dubbing or black thread
White poly yarn or McFlylon, tied spent (flat, perpendicular to shank)
Black Superfine dubbing
Grizzly hackle, 2-3 turns through thorax for flotation
How to Tie the Trico Spinner
- 1
Step 1
Mount a fine wire hook and start black thread at the 60% point on the shank.
- 2
Step 2
Tie in white poly yarn or McFlylon as spent wings, figure-eight style, perpendicular to the shank.
Wings should extend about one shank length to each side.
- 3
Step 3
Move thread to the bend and tie in 3 splayed Microfibbets for the tail.
Tails on Trico spinners are long — up to 1.5x shank length.
- 4
Step 4
Dub a very slim black abdomen forward to the wing position.
- 5
Step 5
Optionally tie in a small grizzly hackle and make 2-3 turns through the thorax area.
A few wraps of grizzly hackle greatly improve flotation and visibility on tiny flies.
- 6
Step 6
Dub a small thorax of black dubbing around the wing base.
- 7
Step 7
Build a tiny thread head, whip finish, and apply head cement.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcEnAGZAYoQ
Credit: Traditional pattern, advanced by Vince Marinaro (spent wing concept), refined by Charlie Craven and Barry Beck