The Rusty Spinner imitates the absolute final stage of a mayfly’s life cycle… the "spent" spinner.
After mayflies hatch, mature, & mate in the air, they drop back down to the waters surface either exhausted or dead. They float completely flat on the water with their translucent wings spread straight out to the sides (called "spent wings").
As they start to die, the bodies of many different mayfly species naturally turn a distinct reddish brown or "rusty" color, regardless of what color they were when they were younger duns. Because of this, the Rusty Spinner is a legendary "crossover" pattern, meaning a single fly can perfectly mimic everything from dead Sulphurs and Blue Wing Olives (BWOs) to Pale Morning Duns (PMDs) and Mahogany Duns.
The Rusty Spinner imitates the absolute final stage of a mayfly’s life cycle… the "spent" spinner.
After mayflies hatch, mature, & mate in the air, they drop back down to the waters surface either exhausted or dead. They float completely flat on the water with their translucent wings spread straight out to the sides (called "spent wings").
As they start to die, the bodies of many different mayfly species naturally turn a distinct reddish brown or "rusty" color, regardless of what color they were when they were younger duns. Because of this, the Rusty Spinner is a legendary "crossover" pattern, meaning a single fly can perfectly mimic everything from dead Sulphurs and Blue Wing Olives (BWOs) to Pale Morning Duns (PMDs) and Mahogany Duns.