Translating relatively simple, real-world observations into convincing fly patterns, isn't as easy as it sounds.
When legendary fly tyer, A.K. Best set out to imitate a
Callibaetis
mayfly in the spinner life stage, he payed careful attention to the
slender, grey form these bugs take on after mating. Using his mind's
eye to its fullest at the fly tying vise, Best produced one of the most
successfully fished spinner patterns of all time.
A.K.'s
Callibaetis Spinner is an extremely effective imitation of a
Callibaetis
mayfly in the spinner life stage. The long tail fibers and lightly
barred wings give this fly an incredibly realistic profile. You'll have
trout jumping out of their scales to grab this fly in the surface film!
Specifications:
- This fly pattern, developed by fly tying legend, A.K. Best, is one of the most popular and successful spinner imitations of all time
- The fly's slender abdomen, thin wings, long tail fibers, and dull grey color make it an incredibly realistic offering
- Callibaetis imitation in the spinner life stage
- These bugs are active in the spring from April to October
- Use as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch during a spinner fall
- Fish on a dead drift in medium and slow water; slow-moving eddys can be extremely productive during and after a spinner fall
- Best results early in the morning or later in the evening
- Minimize surface commotion in clear or shallow water by using long leaders and light tippet
- Giving the fly a few twitches during the drift can simulate the struggle of a spent insect and attract opportunistic trout
- When imitating a drowned spinner, it's often useful to use a nymphing strategy with a strike indicator and a short leader
- Because male spinners fall much earlier than females of the species, it's important to stock your fly box with both a male and female spinner imitation
- SIZE 16
When and Where to Fish A.K.'s Callibaetis Spinner
This mayfly spinner can be fished as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch. Callibaetis
spinners are numerous in the western United States, and are also quite
active in great numbers in the eastern states. When fishing a spinner
fall, these bugs will float and drift along the water’s surface for
some distance from faster, choppier riffles to slower water, often near
the edges of a stream or river, so try this pattern out as the first
spent adults begin to fall from nearby vegetation. When trout are keyed
in on spent Callibaetis
spinners, look for the gentle, sipping rises of feeding fish and cast
your spinner pattern to these areas of subtle and consistent activity.
This bug will yield the best results in areas where spinners are
visible along the surface film in the main drift. Slow-moving eddys
below faster riffles and runs often collect large numbers of spent
mayflies and are prime spots for hungry trout during and after an
intense spinner fall. Callibaetis are typically active the morning and evening hours throughout the spring (April) and into the fall season (October).
How to Fish A.K.'s Callibaetis Spinner
Fish this fly on a dead drift through medium to slow water below faster
riffles and runs. Always be careful to make sure your offering is
riding high in the surface film, the zone where spinners collect. When
fishing this fly pattern in shallow water of good to excellent clarity,
be very careful not to disturb the holding trout. Be sure to select a
longer leader with lighter diameter tippet material; creating too much
commotion on the water’s surface with heavy or otherwise inappropriate
terminal tackle can spook wary trout. Adding a few twitches to the rod
tip during the drift can simulate the final movements of a spent mayfly
spinner. Some spinners are actually swept below the surface and when
imitating these bugs it can be useful to fish your fly wet with a
common nymphing technique. Callibaetis
spinners generally fall in two stages - males fall first and directly
after mating, while females second and about 4-5 days after
fertilization occurs. It's important to pack your fly box with both a
male and a female spinner imitation when headed out to fish a Callibaetis hatch.
Callibaetis
Callibaetis are relatively
small mayflies that occur in the famous trout waters of the North
American West. In this storied fly fishing region, these insects are
widely distributed throughout rivers and lakes, and this broad
distribution makes the species and important staple of a western
trout’s diet. During the larval stage, Callibaetis spend the balance of their time in the weedy shelter of slow moving water provided by rivers, spring creeks, and lakes. Callibaetis
follows the life stages of a typical mayfly life cycle and hatches
across the western United States from spring (April) to mid-fall
(October).
Callibaetis Spinner Life Stage
Just several hours after hatching into winged adults, Callibaetis
will flutter to nearby foliage and vegetation prior to mating. Males of
the species will create mating swarms near the edges of the stream;
look for these clouds of activity above riffles. The females will fly
into these clouds of sexually mature males, who fall spent on the
surface immediately after mating occurs. Females will return to the
safety of nearby vegetation after they are fertilized, returning 4-5
days later to deposit their eggs on the surface of the water. Both
males and females will fall as spent spinners to the surface film, but
males tend to fall well before the females, making it important to pack
both a male and a female Callibaetis
spinner pattern in your fly box. Some of these spinners -- male or
female -- will float high on the water and others will be swept below
the surface. Falls of Callibaetis
spinners can be very productive on slower water and when the surface is
thick with these spent bugs, trout rise and feed with gusto on the
surface.
About the Tyer: A.K. Best
Archie “A. K.” Best has an apt last name; he certainly is one of the
very best at his craft of fly tying. A. K. has written volumes on the
sport of fly fishing and the art of fly tying and he has personally
taught many aspiring fly tyers the tricks and techniques they need to
create successful flies. His fly patterns are commonly revered in
modern fly tying circles as classics and many of his updated takes on
standard patterns of fly fishing’s rich past have become welcome
replacements. A. K. has appeared in a number of instructional videos
and has been a staple at fly fishing shows and fly tying claves for
decades. He has several patterns in production with Umpqua Feather
Merchants under their licensed designer program and he continues to
generously contribute his humor, wit, and creativity to the world’s fly
fishing and fly tying community.
Leland on Umpqua
In
1972 a man named Dennis Black and his fly tying skills found themselves
in high demand. Mr. Black, then a professional production fly tyer, was
famous in the industry for his unsurpassed skill and speed with
whipping up tremendously beautiful and precisely constructed flies. It
wasn’t long until this young fly tying superstar realized that he ought
to take his consistent approach to quality to the next level. Shortly
after this realization, a small army of fly tyers had banded together
to support Mr. Black’s vision. With the likes of Dave Whitlock, Jack
Dennis, and Andy Puyans, Mr. Black was officially in business.
Dennis
Black’s new company Umpqua Feather Merchants quickly extended its reach
and fly production capabilities with expansion into India, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand, where the world’s first and full blown “fly tying
factories” were built. Since those early days, only the highest
standard of excellence has marked Umpqua and this commitment to quality
and efficiency continues to spur the company forward. Dennis Black’s
innovative vision for “fly production” has truly revolutionized how the
fly industry operates and has ultimately made the majority of
production flies better. From the first “royalty system” for rewarding
the most creative professional fly tyers to streamlining production
systems and offering a range of other products, Umpqua Feather
Merchants just seems to “do it all.”
Today, Umpqua Feather
Merchants is without a doubt the world’s best and most prolific
supplier of hand tied fly fishing flies as well as fly tying hooks and
materials, and they recently got better! Umpqua’s brand new, state of
the art headquarters in Louisville, Colorado marks another paradigm
shift in the way fly tying business is done. From its vast warehouse to
its specially designed inventory management and tracking system, Umpqua
is poised to continue its energetic trajectory and lead the way for the
next generation of flies and fly tyers.
Umpqua on Umpqua
"As you may or may not know, we're the
largest producer of quality hand-tied flies in the world. We also make
available through your local fly shop a wide array of the finest
fly-tying hackle and Tiemco hooks.
At Umpqua we offer
everything the angler needs to a have a first class fishing experience.
(Everything that is, but the water and the fish.)"
Umpqua on Dennis Black and the “Obvious Quest”
“The idea
first took shape in the hands of our founder, Dennis Black, back in
1972. As a fast and facile professional fly tyer, Dennis was known for
his skill and speed at producing hundreds of dozens of flies each year
for the larger mail order houses. But he was also quick to realize how
fast the demand for excellent flies would outstrip the abilities of
cottage industry types like him.
The Obvious Quest: To create
excellent flies in sufficient supply – without sinking his standards.
In response, Dennis developed (with characteristic care) a methodical
plan: First, he enlisted the tying expertise of the likes of Dave
Whitlock, Jack Dennis, Andy Puyans and others, to help him set the
standard of excellence for Umpqua flies.
Next, Dennis
established the first of what would eventually be five separate
fly-tying “factories,” first in India, then in Sri Lanka, and finally
in Thailand. The primary focus at each of these factories was on
producing the very best fishing flies possible, constructed of the very
best materials available. From the beginning, the quantity of flies
produced was secondary to the quality and excellence of each fly
pattern. These high standards were assured by the personal involvement
of the fly designers themselves, and by the ever-increasing skill,
imagination and creativity of the Umpqua production fly tiers. Today,
you will find no flies more skillfully tied than those available from
Umpqua Feather Merchants.
Finally, Dennis created a system of
royalty payments, to reward professional tyers like Whitlock, Lefty
Kreh, Randall Kaufman, Larry Dahlberg, and Bob Popovics for uniquely
good patterns.
The Result: Today, Umpqua produces umpteen
thousand dozen flies, from micro-scopic midge imitations to the huge
patterns favored by marlin and sailfish. And the "Umpquality" – you’ll
see for yourself.”
