What’s a spinner mayfly? (Fly tying a hen spinner dry fly)

One of the easiest techniques for tying spent wings, this Hen Spinner mayfly dry fly can be found in Dick Stewart's "Universal Fly Tying Guide."
Hook: #10-16 dry fly
Thread: Any to match the body
Tail: Micro fibettes, or long, stiff fibers
Body: Dubbing to match the mayfly
Wing: Hen feather tips, light color
If you would like to support my mission of giving back to the fly tying community, consider picking up some logo merchandise at:
savageflies.com
And if you shop at Amazon, please consider using the following Amazon storefront for any purchases. (The channel makes a small percentage of sales when purchased through these links.)
www.amazon.com...
Savage Flies is a project with the mission of encouraging and teaching fly tying to as many people as possible. The channel is named after one of my western Maryland homewaters, the Savage River. Thanks for stopping by.

[@edwardchavez5627]

Good Morning Sir Matt, my first time seeing a spinner tied that way. The wings are different but cool looking. I'm going to have to try this one Sir Matt. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY SIR AND ALL THE FATHER'S WATCHING THIS FLY TYING CHANNEL.

[@SavageFlies]

Thank you Edward! And a happy Father's Day to you too!

[@dwgoutdoors831]

The best fly channel on the internet, easily. Always great intros with awesome information and even better ties!

[@SavageFlies]

Wow Mike, thank you for these kind words! I figure until I can tie like Barry Ord Clarke or Davie McPhail, I'd better to the extra step with background info and other various bug tips. :-)

[@jamesvatter5729]

I do like tying these "all natural", but sometimes think they should be renamed "Whirly Birds!" It could be coincidental, but I have found using a wing burner on the hen tips helps avoid the "rotor effect."

[@SavageFlies]

Ahhh... great tip! I do have some brass wing burner things but have never tried them for a spinner. I've only used them for flat-wing caddis type flies.

[@jimholland1592]

Good morning Matt☕️☕️ Nothing like a rusty spinner great fly this morning thanks👍

[@SavageFlies]

You know it Jim! And hey, I'm heading out to the Gunpowder Saturday. I'll take the GoPro so if I get into any fish maybe I'll have some decent footage. :-)

[@jimholland1592]

@@SavageFlies I was just going to ask you if you were going out. Let me know how you do and I enjoy the footage 👍☕️☕️

[@MyItalians]

Morning Matt. I've seen these wings before but never tried them. I think I'll give it a try. Have a happy fun father's day.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Nich! And you too my friend. :-)

[@TrappingTheMitten-JohnHowell]

This comment is coming before I finished watching... I just want to thank you for your excellent description of the mayfly life cycle complete with very technical terms like 'bug sex'! I almost spit coffee out of my nose lol. I will finish watching the video now but thank you for a great morning laugh

[@SavageFlies]

Yeah, I didn't plan saying "bug sex" in the script. It just came out when I was rambling on. :-) Thanks for watching John!

[@martyrothman3933]

Good morning Matt good morning everyone thanks for today's video I'd like to recommend when you go fishing put up another little video I enjoyed it

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Marty! It just so happens that I get to go fishing again tomorrow. I'll definitely take my GoPro, so keep your fingers crossed that I actually catch something. :-)

[@karljones6594]

Good morning Matt. Another great fly this morning. Like the hen feather wings. Will tie a few in various colors for the box. Have a great weekend and stay safe my friend.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Karl! Make sure you do a couple of amber or rust colored. Those work great. :-)

[@gdreilly]

A rusty Spinner is a very common and good fly to have also. Great work Matt

[@SavageFlies]

Absolutely George! I think that is the most common spinner mayfly out there. You always hear of the rusty one. And I did read that a lot of mayflies turn kind or a rust brown or gray when they die. Even the drakes or BWOs. Maybe that's why the "rusty spinner" is the most popular.

[@garrettswoodworx1873]

I should know better than to try drinking anything while watching one of your videos. Fortunately it was only water and cleaned off of the monitor fairly easily. Bug sex???? Love the way you use simple terminology to help your viewers understand! Great video Matt. Happy Fathers Day to you and all the dads on the channel.

[@SavageFlies]

Hahaha! Now you're making me laugh Garrett. Happy Father's day to you too my friend. :-)

[@jamesday3216]

Another great fly Matt. I think I'll tie a couple and try them out on my Central Texas panfish. Should be interesting and fun. Keep it going Matt I absolutely enjoy your site.

[@SavageFlies]

I'm sure the panfish would go for these bugs. Thanks for the note. :-)

[@toddslichter7831]

Great pattern and nice tie Mr O'Neal. Thanks for sharing and have a great Father's Day.

[@SavageFlies]

You bet and you too Todd! Have a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@marksheridan9063]

Thanks for explaining what a spent fly is. Love all the explanations and history of the flies being tied. God bless and have a great weekend.

[@SavageFlies]

You bet Mark! I always appreciate you watching my friend. :-)

[@jamiehubbard8823]

Great to watch a new video over in Scotland not the best weather it is a tying day

[@SavageFlies]

Those are the best days for tying Jamie! We've had plenty of rainy days here in the east US this spring too. :-)

[@samh4232]

Ok I need to wipe my mouth…this is like a drool inducing tie. Well played and well done Matt. I definitely am going to try this

[@SavageFlies]

Awesome Sam; go for it my friend!

[@diecastrejuvenation7779]

Morning Matt! This is a really good imitators. Haven't fished spinners before. Guess now I will! Thanks!

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Troy! They're kind of a specialty fly. I might use them a couple times a year, but I've always got a few in one of my dry fly boxes. :-)

[@johnnylightning1491]

Yep, true to form, another nice simple fly Matt. I think everyone needs a few of these in their box. Maybe you could tie a Hex fly in celebration of the Hex hatch that is going on or will be soon on the AuSable here in Michigan. Keep the good stuff coming buddy.

[@SavageFlies]

Ohhh... great idea Dave! Most of those you see are on extended bodies. A little more challenging but still a lot of fun. I'll put that on the near-term to-do list. :-)

[@edwardmlotkiewicz2343]

Great classic fly from Dick Stewart. Easy and effective tie and nice on streams in the Northeast in spring. Keep ' em coming. Always enjoy the sessions.

[@SavageFlies]

I know Ed, that really is a great book. I'm going to break out his bass and panfish book this weekend and work on filling my warmwater boxes. :-)

[@leemowers9395]

Thanks Matt, a great example of a simple spent mayfly, thanks for the demo, until next time.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Lee! I'm actually going fishing again tomorrow so with any luck, I'll have some more river footage for Tuesday's video. (As long as I catch something. :-) )

[@doncogswell9596]

Great job Matt. This is one fly that actually looks somewhat like the real bug. Most of the stuff we tie makes me wonder a fish would ever considering eating them. As usual, you made it look pretty do-able. Well done. Bug sex? Who would have thought?

[@SavageFlies]

Haha! Thanks Don. I have no idea what entomologists call it when a male and female mayfly get together to make some baby mayflies. But that sounds like "bug sex" to me. :-)

[@jimgollach6202]

Really enjoyed watching this tie Matt. It would take me a lot of practice on this one, I've never fished spinners or tried to tie one,but I might try to tie one up, I'm tieing right now because it's to hot to enjoy fishing. I hate the heat. Tight lines!👍👍

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Jim! It was a scorcher here today too- mid 90s. But tomorrow's high is the low 70s and I'm going back to the river. :-)

[@jeffreystone7327]

Very nice job Sir. This one is definitely going to be tougher to tie. But it sure looks nice when you were finished. Enjoyed the intro of the life cycle. Definitely makes us better fisherman understanding the insects we copy. Thank you Matt.

[@knowyourjoe8826]

Learned a few things. Didn’t know what a spinner was. Like the wing technique. Thanks for sharing.

[@mikeney5113]

Great looking pattern Matt.love the way you did wings.thanks!

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Mike!

[@tonygarrett601]

Good tip on tying in those wings. The bare stems can be slick the way you tied this in may hold better. Just a note cleaning up the fibers between the wings might be a good place to use that fancy electric tool you have to burn those fibers back.

[@SavageFlies]

You know I thought about that Tony... after I finished the video. Maybe next time. :-)

[@Graham-1888]

Nice tie Matt 😉

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Graham!

[@paulsalmon2368]

Good information on Spinners and a good tying clip as usual. Watched an old clip of yours explaining Hackles got a lot out of clip. Had a couple of Hackles that I did think were much. After your info I was able to salvage some good feathers and at an average of around $100 a pop I was quite happy. Thanks Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

Wow Paul, thank you for this comment! It's always encouraging to hear when one of my videos has helped out. And yes, hackle prices have gotten crazy this year!

[@kenb4685]

nice fly and great wings.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Ken!

[@chevyguy6510]

Thanks Matt! I have to give this one a try. Saving up gas money to take a trip to my "Fishing Hole" lol! I hope to hit it in the next few weeks. Take care

[@SavageFlies]

Outstanding Todd! I'm hitting the Gunpowder tomorrow. I'll take the GoPro again so with any luck, I'll have some fishing footage for Tuesday's video. :-)

[@bigdaddy99929]

Love these little flies. Great fishers. Thx Matt. 🙂

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Clyde!

[@harryjoesather6539]

thanks matt. see ya joe . i will be watching.

[@davehall2160]

Easy looking fly Matt, definitely going to try this one out Thanks for the video

[@SavageFlies]

You got it Dave! Thanks for watching my friend. :-)

[@TrappingTheMitten-JohnHowell]

That is a great fly tied in any different colors and sizes. I have tried the paintbrush fibers for tail material and found that the synthetic paintbrush fibers are too rigid. I think if you were to find a old worn out horse hair brush that would be perfect. Needless to say, the dollar store brushes that I bought to try did not quite fit the bill. Thanks again for the great tie and good advice on tying in the spinner wings

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks John! I wonder if the more expensive paint brushes, like from Home Depot, would work better. Even a $10 paint brush will give you a lot more tails than we could probably use. And I just thought of something else- if you find a lighter colored bristle, you could easily color them with a permanent marker. Hmmm... that might be something to try.

[@ybarrajc]

Nice, thanks for sharing I always appreciate you dropping some knowledge on us. Have a blessed day my friend.

[@SavageFlies]

You bet! And I always appreciate you watching and leaving a nice comment. :-)

[@Hunter711pa]

Nice job Matt and I just experienced the twisted up leader the other day fishing spent wings. Had a good day though I’ve been catching lots of brown trout. Pretty much got the stream to myself once the stock trucks stopped rolling people quit fishing.

[@SavageFlies]

Yep, I hear you David! I'm fortunate in that my two favorite close rivers aren't stocked and are all C&R, with several stretches of fly fishing only. That usually keeps the hordes at a minimum.

[@joeduca8582]

Ha! Thought I was in health class again ;o) Nice job, good teaching video. Have a great weekend!

[@SavageFlies]

You too Joe! It was in the mid-90s here today, but the high tomorrow is the low 70s. And guess what... I get to go fishing again. Oh yeah. The Gunpowder this time and that river owes me from my last two bad outings there. :-)

[@joeduca8582]

@@SavageFlies Wicked T-storms Thursday, almost 90 and humid. Lightning struck close to house, I started filling water jugs in case power went out and the water pressure trickled to nothing. Think the pump got fried. Got a well guy coming tommorw. Today was great, but windy. Have a good trip, keep yer "powder" dry and yer line wet! ;o)

[@crowdaddy8355]

Great looking spinner. Thanks Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Chad! Have a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@stevebrockway4738]

Always informative and entertaining. Thanks for the instructions.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Steve! I appreciate the note my friend. :-)

[@tubbyguyoutdoors]

Definitely going to have to give this one a try . Thanks for sharing bud

[@wayneandrews1278]

Wow I love this one I going do this one my friend

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Wayne! Go for it my friend. :-)

[@randymorris8740]

To mix it up a bit, I'll tie some them backwards (wings at the back and tail at the eye of the hook), I do this because not all spent flies float face first in the drift because they have no energy left to correct themselves...

[@SavageFlies]

That's a great point Randy. And usually the real things start to sink not too long after falling to the water. I guess that's why a lot of spinners are tied without hackle, so they do sit down lower in the water. I imagine this fly would be soaking wet and starting to sink after about two feet of drifting.

[@cosmiccharlie8606]

Vary nice 👌 looking fly sir i use my willey wings all summer long around here always catch fish with it i will definitely be adding this one to the box

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Charlie! I'm going to do a wally winged fly soon. They're not too challenging, especially if you keep them upright on a mayfly dun.

[@cosmiccharlie8606]

@@SavageFlies yes but I enjoy tieing them

[@allenaviation5746]

Thanks for sharing Matt. Have you ever tries Mongoose hair for long, stiff, sparse tailing material? It's also used for paint brushes like fibbetes but probably not legal anymore. Great tailing material if you can find it in an old material collection.

[@SavageFlies]

I've never tried it Daryl and just checked one of the fur suppliers I use. And nope, they didn't have any. They did have ermine though. They look kind of like small mongooses. Just not sure how similar the fur is. You can see some here: www.hideandfur.com/Animals/Ermine.html

[@FlyTyer1948]

Does a spinner have to spin? As you note, hen hackle wings are indeed likely to make your spinner spin & your tippet corkscrew. To avoid that spinning, I now only tie spinners with poly or Antron fibers for the wings. Wally wings look great, but spread out for a spinner, they may also cause spinning. I would only use the Wally wings for upright or slanted back wings like on caddis.

[@SavageFlies]

I don't know Bob. Most all of the spinners I've tied before have been with a synthetic Antron or Z-lon. And I still manage to mangle up my leader if I'm not careful. Here's another thought... I've always thought spinners were called that simply because "spent" and "spinner" sound similar, and calling them "spenters" would sound weird.

[@jacobsadler6539]

Nice fly

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Jacob!

[@epsieblaine7968]

Think wally wings are tough do an origami wing fly for your channel.Tonight at Friday Night at the Bench,going to be about peacock hearl.Just don't tie it in and go to winding.Make the hearls go the way you you wont facing foward or back.I see a lot of people just tie in peacock and go to twisting,they are missing out on a great looking fly.I know fish don't care,but looks great when you show someone your fly box.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Ken! I've never even seen origami wings. I'll have to look that up!

[@Jd-yc3gw]

Good morning Matt. Just having my morning ☕️and catching up on emails, videos etc., from being out of service for a week. Long story short no fishing ☹️ this trip. You confirmed what I thought a spinner was. Definitely a different way to tie in the wings. Just curious about durability with those wings, is it a one fish fly? I think I will have to put some of these in as I often see them on the surface of lakes. Take care Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

I really don't know how durable it will be but I can't think it'll be very tough. Really the only spinners I've fished are the ones with synthetic wings which you'd think would be considerably tougher. But I just wanted to go old school with this thing. Honestly, I think I only tied 2-3 of them. A couple of practice ones, and the one for the video. :-)

[@robertpetersen9450]

Try Z-lon or similar and it will give the impression of spent wings without the rotational tendency of the feather wings.

[@SavageFlies]

Yep Robert; you're absolutely right! I mentioned that in the intro and that's exactly how I usually tie them. But I thought this one would be kind of fun as it is one of the rare ones that uses hen feathers.

[@robertpetersen9450]

Sorry. I heard it but it didn't register.