Description
When trout feed on Spent Spinners, they do it with comfort. These dead or dying mayflies will not fly away, making them an easy, high-protein meal. The rise is typically slow and methodical, often in a classic "head-and-tail" style. Many anglers find this stage difficult, as fish become extremely selective when hundreds of spent spinners blanket the surface.
Our Commitment: Perfect Imitation To succeed and perhaps hook the fish of a lifetime, you must observe where the fish feeds and ensure your presentation is flawless. But just as important is the imitation itself. Because the insect is stationary, the fish has plenty of time to scrutinize your fly.
Our commitment is to provide imitations of the real insect where the fly has the right shape, size, proportions, and colours, and, not least, leaves the correct print on the surface of the water. This imitation of an adult mayfly in the Spent stage possesses all the right properties. It looks natural, feels natural, and fish will eat it.
The Technical Micro-Spinner – J:son Mayfly Spent 3 Olive Grey (Hook #18) In size #18, the Olive Grey Spent becomes an essential precision tool for technical fly fishing. This size perfectly mimics the smaller species of the Baetis family, such as the late-season generations of Small Dark Olives. After mating and egg-laying, these small mayflies collapse on the water surface, and their colors fade into a subtle, translucent olive-grey tone.
Despite its small profile, this fly maintains J:son’s signature realism. The olive-grey foam body provides perfect buoyancy, and the wings lie flat against the surface film, creating the exact "T-silhouette" that selective trout and grayling look for in calm pools and clear lakes. This is a "must-have" fly for late summer fishing when water levels are low and fish have plenty of time to scrutinize your offering. When you see subtle, rhythmic rises to seemingly invisible insects, the Olive Grey #18 is often the answer.
Correct Surface Print: The imitation creates the precise flat-winged silhouette on the water film that triggers even the most selective fish.
Optimal Realism: Designed to mimic the spent, exhausted mayfly lying flush in the surface film after egg-laying.
High Quality: Exact proportions and biological colours that perfectly match the natural insect’s final life stage.
Pro Tip: Use a Swivel for Perfect Presentation Because J:son realistic flies are designed with anatomically correct wings, they act like small propellers in the air during casting. This can cause your leader to twist, leading to tangles and poor presentation.
To prevent this and ensure your fly lands perfectly every time, we strongly recommend using a J:son Anti-Twist Swivel. This simple addition will eliminate line twist and let you focus entirely on the fish.