The Rusty Spinner: Tied tiny, Big Payoff

When it comes to spinner falls, trout can get real picky. We’ve all been there — the surface is littered with spinners, trout are rising with clockwork precision… and you can’t buy a take.

That’s when this fly shines.

The Rusty Hackle Wing Spinner is one of those patterns that seems too simple to be effective — just thread and hackle, tied sparse and trimmed tight. But under the right conditions, this little fly becomes the golden ticket to trout glory.

What makes it so effective? It’s all about subtlety. This pattern imitates those spent-wing spinners drifting helplessly in the film. The rusty color works wonders during spinner falls — especially when fish key in on BWOs returning as spinners the morning after an evening hatch.

Here’s the kicker:
While most anglers are laser-focused on tricos, they miss the tiny rusty trout treats floating right past them — spinners from yesterday’s BWO hatch, now size 22 and forgotten.
Those spinners are just as small as tricos, and this pattern lets you quietly match that hatch while everyone else is guessing.

And that’s where the real lesson for new tiers comes in —
Tying small takes practice. Learning to manage thread, hackle, and proportions on a size 20 or 22 hook is a skill that pays off across every fly you tie. This pattern, as I show in Beginner Fly Lesson #8, is a perfect place to start.

It’s fast to tie, sneaky-effective, and a fantastic way to build your confidence with small patterns.

If you fish spinner falls — especially on technical water — tie up a few Rusty Hackle Wing Spinners. You’ll be glad you did.

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🔗 Watch the Video:

Beginner Fly Lesson #8 – Rusty Hackle Wing “Tight lines and rusty threads — see you on the water.”