Here is the fly pattern sheet for Galloup’s Sunken Spinner.
Top view
Here is a variant I’ve tied and fished during our 2020 fly fishing road trip with great success. I’ve changed it to a dry fly with dry fly hackle and wrapped the biot using the smooth side which I believe more represents the natural insect, especially in broken and fast water. I used a rusty dun hackle which has a similar color to the Hungarian Partridge. I plan to experiment with a grizzly hackle which might represent the spinner wing closer.
Materials
Hook:
Daiichi 1180 or any dry fly hook, #14 – 20
Thread:
Danville 6/0, brown
Tail:
Hungarian Partridge
Body:
Turkey biot – rusty spinner color
Wing:
Dun MFC Z-yarn or Zelon
Thorax:
Adams gray Superfine dubbing
Hackle:
Brown or natural Hungarian Partridge (Optional – dry fly hackle)
Note: Other body and thorax colors include PMD, olive, sulfur orange.
Directions
- Begin thread on hook and wind back to hook barb.
- Select 4 to 5 fibers for tail and tie in, about body length. Wrap thread forward over butt ends to help create taper.
- Wind thread back to barb and tie in biot by tip. For durability, place small drop of super glue on hook shank. Wrap biot forward.
- Wrap forward with furl exposed.
- Tie in sparse wing at 2/3 position using figure 8 and position vertical.
- Dub thorax.
- Trim wings equal to back of body.
- Tie in hackle by the tip and take a couple of turns. Tie off and trim.
- Whip finish.
His original fly pattern called for a body of Adams Superfine dubbing and brown hen hackle. For more information about the fly, go to my Throw Back Thursday Fly post – Kelly Galloup’s Sunken Spinner.
Watch Kelly tie the fly and explain why he changed his thinking: