Are you a natural-materials kind of fly tier, or do you love using all the cool synthetics hanging on the walls of your local shop? This week’s fly-tying selection from our friends at Tightline Productions is a two-fer, pitting the all-natural stylings of Matt Grobert against a more modern pattern by Tim Flagler. Of course, you could simply tie up both and see which one fishes better for you. Then you could report back to us the results of your experimentation as a way to put this naturals-vs-synthetics debate to rest forever. Just kidding.
In these great Tightline Productions videos, first author and blogger Matt Grobert ties his version of a Rusty Spinner, using natural snowshoe hair for the wings, and then Tim Flagler ties his version of the same spinner, but with a Polypropylene wing. Each offers a neat method for splaying the tails and keeping the wings perpendicular to the hook. So no matter which one you choose to tie, you can learn something from both versions
Grobert’s Rusty Spinner
Hook: Standard dry-fly hook (here a TMC #100), size 14.
Thread: Olive, 6/0.
Wings: Natural snowshoe rabbit.
Dubbing ball: Rusty Australian possum dubbing.
Tails: 2 light-dun Microfibbets.
Abdomen & thorax: Rusty Australian possum dubbing.
Head: Tying thread.
Flagler’s Rusty Spinner
Hook: Standard dry-fly hook (here a Dai-Riki #305), size 14.
Thread: Rusty Brown, 70-denier or 8/0.
Tails: 2 Microfibbets.
Abdomen: Rust Super Fine dry-fly dubbing.
Wings: Polypropylene yarn.
Thorax: Rust Super Fine dry-fly dubbing.
Head: Tying thread.
Note: Apply floatant to wings and body while fly is still in the vise.
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