Trico Spinner
Imitates: Spent Trico mayfly spinner
Quick Reference
- Best Sizes
- #22-26
- Best Season
- Late July through October, morning hatches
- Best Conditions
- Spring creeks, tailwaters, slow flat water, sipping risers
- Water Temp
- 60-70°F
- Recommended Tippet
- 7X fluorocarbon, 12+ foot leader
How to Rig It
Trail behind a visible attractor or hi-vis indicator fly — you can't see the spinner itself on the water.
How to Present It
Drag-free dead-drift through pods of sipping trout. Strip-set softly — a trout-set will break 7X tippet every time.
Why It Works
Tricos swarm and fall in massive numbers on late-summer mornings. Trout sit in slick water and pick off hundreds of spinners — refusing every fly except a perfect match.
History
Trico spinner falls turned every great tailwater (Bighorn, Missouri, Henrys Fork) into a technical fishing destination. The spinner pattern is mandatory in any summer fly box.
Pro Tip
Be on the water by 7 a.m. in August. Tricos hatch overnight, mate at dawn, and fall on the water in the first three hours of daylight. Sleep in and you'll miss it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size hook for a Trico spinner?+
Size #24 is the standard. Drop to #26 on the most technical spring creeks where fish are educated.
Not sure if Trico Spinner is right today?
Get a fly recommendation based on live water temp, flow, sky, and time of day for any river in the US.
Open Fly Advisor
Map
Fly Guide