PMD Spinner
Imitates: Spent Pale Morning Dun spinner
Quick Reference
- Best Sizes
- #16-18
- Best Season
- June through August, evening spinner falls
- Best Conditions
- Spring creeks, tailwaters, slow flats with rising trout
- Water Temp
- 55-68°F
- Recommended Tippet
- 6X fluorocarbon
How to Rig It
Trail 18" behind a Parachute Adams or visible attractor.
How to Present It
Dead-drift through pods of risers in the last hour of light. PMD spinner falls are evening events — different from morning Trico falls.
Why It Works
PMD spinners fall en masse at dusk on Western rivers. Trout slip into slow inside seams and sip every spinner that drifts by — refusing duns once spinners are on the water.
History
The PMD (Ephemerella excrucians) is the most important Western mayfly summer hatch. The spinner stage is what fly anglers wait for all evening.
Pro Tip
Find the slowest inside seams of a riffle's tailout. That's where spinners collect — and where the biggest fish hold to eat them.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do PMD spinners fall?+
The last 60-90 minutes before dark from late June through August on most Western tailwaters.
Not sure if PMD Spinner is right today?
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