Spinners are a productive lure for steelhead particularly for difficult water where fish must be lured out from brushy hideaways that are difficult to fish with conventional baits.
On average fishing this type of water you will be likely to loose 4 or 5 spinners on a good day and many more on a bad one. Spinners with sufficient body weight in medium sized blades of #3 or #4 size are hard to find and not cheap to buy. I have been making mt own spinners using bulk blades attached to triple swivels ,a type which used to be popular before the French spinner but are hard to find nowadays.
Here is a jpg of the #4 chrome blade I have been using.[img] [img]http://www.piscatorialpursuits.com/uploads/UP501.jpg[/img][/IMG]

That's awesome coot! Thanks for sharing this with us. I've never seen a 3 way used on a spinner like that. Have you considered tying the hook to the spinner with something that would give before you mainline does (and as a result keep your spinner)? Maybe it would be too risky - and losing a few spinners beats losing a nice steelie...

Coot, I must say sir that you are a true image of Canadien hospitality. I love to fish in your country with guys who have the same approach as you. Great looking setup! When can I have it demonstrated in real time?

FJ...out.

Fishing is my religion dammit!

Coot, that looks like a "colorado" style spinner blade. My dad started me off with those in the 60's.

Hi Phil: You can set these up several ways you can use three atandard swivels with a split ring to make a three way. I usually fish mine below a float set for about 1 foot above the bottom and hold back as I drift it down beside the suspected holt.I then let it swing across dropping the tip periodicaly and then picking it up in case I have a following fish. I use a slinkey of 1/2oz to 2/3oz
One reason I like the threeway is that there are two axis of spin The blade can spin on its own axis in fast water and tight line;but on slack line it flutters downwards on the axis from the hook to the leader.
Variety is the spice of fishing
coot

Thanks Coot. After reading some of the comments on the thread "Hey, what'd you get 'im on?" does my heart good to see someone volunteer so much information, complete with pictures! It's why I come here.

Makes me feel like a reel loser for the way I posted on that thread,SORRY GUYS.

THANKS COOT

Great looking spinner and I dont think I would have no problem casting that with my 9140 and swinging it through a tailout on a 300 grain 24ft tip.

How else can I b*stardize flyfishing...



[ 01-10-2002: Message edited by: RPetzold ]

Hey Coot,

I just realized how deadly 'blades were last year. I prefer the Gibbs/Nortac Colorado's in the hammered Gold finish...absoulutely deadly in back eddies fished under a float. I tie my own as well, but until I can get bulk gold plated blades I'll continue to use the over priced store boughts.

On a side note, I always replace the hook that comes with the blade, usually it's dull. Slap a 2/0 owner on there and its game over. The fish just hammer the blades, and they fight pissed off!

I find that there is no exact way to fish a blade...the important thing is to match the size(and style) of the blade to the current/depth of the water. I've hit fish dragging bottom, dead drift, and when the blades are really buzzin'.

I've seen the float/spinner technique used on the Vedder with great sucess. If it works there it could/should work here.

Coot

Very cool idea I am excited to make some of these and try them. Have you ever run a piece of hollow core lead down to the top of the swivel so that the spinner could be casted? Fishing them under a float is cool, just wondering if they work well if casted, or if they tend to get tangled up.

I dont run into serious tangling problems either with a float or on a drift setup. My standard rig is a 3 foot 10lb chameleon leader to a triple swivel .I hang a 2/3oz slinkey on the bottom loop and attach my 12 lb mainline to the third loop. I usually set the float so the slinkey is running about 1 foot above the rocks . The cast is full arm rather than snap and I hold back slightly trying to run the blade about 2 feet above the fishes head.
In dirtier water I would lengthen the float to slinkey distance so the blade would be about 6"above the fish.
Without the float I usually just add a sliding pencil lead on the mainline.
I guess the main thing I try to do with spinners is to keep the blade turning as slowly as possible and keep the swing of the line to a slow pace. It helps to raise and drop the rod tip because when the blade stops turning and then starts again it starts turning in the opposite direction which reduces line twist. I avoid any constant retrieve speed even at the end of the cast to minimize line twist.
coot