Both these flies have the hi-vis wing post and the sparse spinner wings in common. From there they are utterly different, so we will discuss the Rusty first since it was the prototype design. Mike, like many of us, experienced frustration during heavy spinner falls: hard to track the fly amidst a raft of naturals; false-striking and subsequent accidental hook-ups. He would hook fish, but was not fishing spinners with confidence. Mike wanted a spinner he could see. The Profile Spinners eventually, after many alterations and refinements, became the finished fly, Mike's eventual solution. A Hi-Vis wing post for visibility. Two-tone coloration for visual clarity in all light conditions. Mike found the indicator/post did not seem to disturb feeding fish. His catch rate was decidedly enhanced because he could see the fly, and was soon fishing spinners with confidence. The Parachute hackling is slightly undersized; just enough to ensure floatation and to simulate the leg prints of the naturals. The Tails are shorter hackle fibers to primarily ensure floatation and not long like the naturals. And lest we forget, it is a spinner. It has Z-lon spent wings. The Profile Spinner is Mike's solution for difficult, dense spinner falls, but with additional benefits: this fly can be easily seen in riffles where trout love to gulp helpless spinners, and it can be fished as a dun/cripple. It's a combo fly. The Brown Drake required a different solution since a biot body would require too long of a hook shank and too much hook weight. An extended body of foam was the way to go. We had several dealers and a few reps wanting a new and improved brown drake spinner/dun, "One we can see". Little did we know Mike already had one, but a green drake, "in the can." This fly is simply beautiful. Right size, right color (top, bottom, and mottled wings), the two-color post ensure visibility right up to darkness, right through the dim light hours when this mayfly is on the water.
