PFnF Blog
Installment #101
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| The Colorado Spinner - It's A Winner! |
This is an old, old lure; it goes back into the early 20th century, as far as I know.
Now notice, when I say, "Colorado Spinner," I'm referring to a particular type of metal fishing lure - and I mean the entire lure itself.
Now notice, when I say, "Colorado Spinner," I'm referring to a particular type of metal fishing lure - and I mean the entire lure itself.
It is NOT to be confused with the wireform "spinnerbaits," like Beetle Spins, which may use a Colorado blade...
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| NOT THIS |
Likewise, it should not be confused with just the blade itself.
Not These, Alone
It
is, in fact, a complete lure all its own, known by the name,
"Colorado Spinner."
You could use any other type spinner blade, and it would still be a, "Colorado Spinner."
It's a subtle, often confusing distinction, I admit, but it may be lost if not reinforced.
Why Care?
You could use any other type spinner blade, and it would still be a, "Colorado Spinner."
It's a subtle, often confusing distinction, I admit, but it may be lost if not reinforced.
Why Care?
The reason this precise identification matters to me is because I grew up with these
things in the early 60's.
My dad used them on the western rainbows
for which we fished.
Today, they are mostly unheard of except by a few old-timers, and those who stumble upon them.
I think maybe only Hildebrandt still offers them on a commercial basis; and they are of high quality.
They may also be available in regional trout locales, mostly as a cottage industry product.
However, I've never seen one for sale on the shelf at my South Carolina WalMart, so they don't have what I would call a wide audience.
But, they are a reminder of my dad, Sidney Hutton (RIP), and what I look back on as happy, childhood times.
So, I care about the nostalgia they evoke.
Details
As a kid, I remember we festooned the hooks with bright red salmon eggs, or strips of red flannel cut from dads shirt.
Red seems to be an attractive color to the fish...or maybe its just something we did as habit.
Fishermen are like that; much of what we do comes because it may have worked once.
Or, maybe, it worked for some other guy and we heard about it.
It may be that red mattered very little, in fact.
Polka dots might have done as well. Movement and flash was likely the key element, in the end.
But WE used red because that's just what you did.
We, as anglers, well, we need little more prompting than that.
Ours had treble hooks, and I still make them that way, today.
I usually add a small section of red coffee stirrer to the shank of the treble hook, and maybe I'll add a few latex strips cut from a balloon... this being another old trick not much practiced today.
On some I add a Duo Snap clip to the rear swivel eye, which allows me to hang a hackled fly back there.
Today, they are mostly unheard of except by a few old-timers, and those who stumble upon them.
I think maybe only Hildebrandt still offers them on a commercial basis; and they are of high quality.
They may also be available in regional trout locales, mostly as a cottage industry product.
However, I've never seen one for sale on the shelf at my South Carolina WalMart, so they don't have what I would call a wide audience.
But, they are a reminder of my dad, Sidney Hutton (RIP), and what I look back on as happy, childhood times.
So, I care about the nostalgia they evoke.
Details
As a kid, I remember we festooned the hooks with bright red salmon eggs, or strips of red flannel cut from dads shirt.
Red seems to be an attractive color to the fish...or maybe its just something we did as habit.
Fishermen are like that; much of what we do comes because it may have worked once.
Or, maybe, it worked for some other guy and we heard about it.
It may be that red mattered very little, in fact.
Polka dots might have done as well. Movement and flash was likely the key element, in the end.
But WE used red because that's just what you did.
We, as anglers, well, we need little more prompting than that.
Ours had treble hooks, and I still make them that way, today.
I usually add a small section of red coffee stirrer to the shank of the treble hook, and maybe I'll add a few latex strips cut from a balloon... this being another old trick not much practiced today.
On some I add a Duo Snap clip to the rear swivel eye, which allows me to hang a hackled fly back there.
Using a ringed, large eye hook, I
can also add a natural bait or small twisty tail grub on the
rear.
They were originally created back when fly rods were pretty much the only game in town for delivering lightweight lures.
There were many "lures" specifically created for casting with fly rods in those days, and you can make these any size you want, from size 0, right on up to the big, 2" #8's.
Damon Toney, at YouTube's, "Black Warrior Lures," he makes big ones and calls them, "Thump Rigs."
Same lure - different name for marketing. See the link at the end.
They were originally created back when fly rods were pretty much the only game in town for delivering lightweight lures.
There were many "lures" specifically created for casting with fly rods in those days, and you can make these any size you want, from size 0, right on up to the big, 2" #8's.
Damon Toney, at YouTube's, "Black Warrior Lures," he makes big ones and calls them, "Thump Rigs."
Same lure - different name for marketing. See the link at the end.
But the Colorado Spinner is, in my opinion, best suited for light spinning gear, and the trusty old fly rod.
I use them with my U/L fly-spinning
outfits*, and do well enough on the panfish when they are taking shiny little doo-dads.
I tend to keep them around size 3, for panfish.
* fly rod with a spinning reel attached.
Fishing Colorado Spinners
In still water, cranking them in on a steady retrieve is about all it takes. The blade spins with very little movement, so they don't have to be zoomed along. You can stop them and let them flutter, too, or vary the retrieve any way you like.
I find it is best to give them a small, sharp jerk to get them turning, but after that, it's just swim them past where fish might be holding.
I find it is best to give them a small, sharp jerk to get them turning, but after that, it's just swim them past where fish might be holding.
When fished in moving water, the current does most of the work for you.
In The Stream
I'm working off memory, next, as I don't fish running water these days, but I remember fish seemed to take them most of the time on the downward swing.
Where they crossed the stream on the down swing, and while transitioning from swing to upstream retrieve, that's where I remember most of the hits coming from.
Originally, I think they were intended to hang in the current, with the occasional pop-and-flutter bringing strikes.
In The Stream
I'm working off memory, next, as I don't fish running water these days, but I remember fish seemed to take them most of the time on the downward swing.
Where they crossed the stream on the down swing, and while transitioning from swing to upstream retrieve, that's where I remember most of the hits coming from.
Originally, I think they were intended to hang in the current, with the occasional pop-and-flutter bringing strikes.
DIY Spinner
The Colorado Spinner is something you should at least try.
You can buy the Hildebrandt versions - if you can find them.
But you'll probably be better off making them yourself, which isn't a bad thing. The lead photo should show you just how easy it is to make them.
They cost only pennies to create, and they are as effective as ever.
All you need is a blade, a hook, two swivels, and two split rings.
You can buy swivels and treble hooks anywhere.
The only "specialty" items involved are split rings and blades, and they're both cheap and available at any tackle making supplier.
The Colorado Spinner just might even be a secret weapon in the battle for the, "The Best Fishing Lure Ever....."
Certainly it's in the running for the simplest.
* Damon Toney gets a little irritated when I call them, 'Colorado Spinners,' because I'm messing with his vibe; he's trying to sell his as "Thump Rigs."
I like him though, so it's only fair that I share a link to his version, here:
The Colorado Spinner just might even be a secret weapon in the battle for the, "The Best Fishing Lure Ever....."
Certainly it's in the running for the simplest.
* Damon Toney gets a little irritated when I call them, 'Colorado Spinners,' because I'm messing with his vibe; he's trying to sell his as "Thump Rigs."
I like him though, so it's only fair that I share a link to his version, here:
Black Warrior Lures
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