My father taught me to fish for trout when we lived in Norway in the early 1960s.  The weapon of choice back then was the "high tech" Mepps spinner.  As a 7 year old boy, it was enough of a killer to firm up my addiction to fishing and the outdoors.   When I graduated from college and entered the Army in 1975, one of my first purchases was a "Mepps Killer Kit" in deference to those great days.  Being stationed at Fort Ord in California, we were able to head to the Sierras and hunt for trout - but the Mepps magic paled when compared to Panther Martins, Rapala, and even Daredevil spoons.  Tried using all sorts of Mepps - with and without hair, different colors - but they just do not seem to produce any more.

I still have a significant number of these lures - the same ones purchased in the 1970's - and a few since as I tried to recapture the old Norway magic. 

Selection of Mepps from Cabela's

I browsed a few message boards to get a current sense of the community regarding Mepps.  The results are mixed - there are still rabid Mepps devotees and there are others that argue strongly for other lures.  Guess it just comes down to the personal skill of the angler and his/her ability to hit the right spots, be patient to wait for the lure to sink (but not so much that it gets hung up), and retrieve it at the right speed.  That's probably my problem - I have been using the Panther Martins so long that the retrieve speed I am using on my current open faced reel is not compatible with Mepps...

The consistent comment from the boards is that anything that looks like a minnow will produce, and that could be the connection between a spinner and a Rapala.  Just as fly fishermen discuss "matching the hatch", we spin fishermen need to be aware of the baitfish that are in the stream, what they are doing and how the trout are reacting to them.  It was interesting to see the high number of comments in support of the Mepps brand from fishermen in the UK - the Mepps approach is still a very robust and strongly recommended system over there.  Makes you wonder whether the trout are different here in the states?

Bottom line: Fish are fickle, use what works for you.

Here are some of the comments from various boards on this subject:

Harris Angling Forum (UK): Jason Gould: "I always used to spin for brown trout on small rivers by casting a Mepps size 1 or 2 upstream with a short rod and light line. If you were stuck with that method and equipment for life you would still catch loads of fish. In more recent years I've taken to fishing downstream with a 5 cm floating Rapala, letting it run down a pool on the surface with the current then very slowly reeling it back sub surface. That gets many, many fish snatching at the lure. I agree that you can use quite large lures, too. A big brown trout is an awesome predator and I've been shocked sometimes when a whopper has smashed at the spinner or plug close to me in such a fast savage action."

Fish Hebrides (Scotland): "Again this is a fly and spinning fishery with the Mepps spinner proving to be the most successful."

Provo River (Utah): "Wet flies like Copper Johns will do great as a dropper under your favorite Attractor or Parachute pattern, according to staffers at Sportsman's Warehouse in Midvale (801-567-1000). You'll want to stick with size 16 or smaller dries and size 18 to 22 Beadhead Nymphs. When it comes to selecting a lure, go light and tiny. Small gold Kastmasters, brown trout pattern Panther Martins and green and gold Mepps will help you catch good numbers. Even though regulations don't call for barbless hooks, it's always a good idea to help you unhook your fish with a twist of the wrist. This will help you release fish unharmed should it end up with all three points of your trusty treble hook. You'll catch a lot of fish tossing the smaller spinners in pools and behind rocks where fish wait for a meal.

Pier 55: There are a wide variety of both live and artificial baits that will get you a good sized trout. Cured salmon eggs, earthworms, marshmallows, insects, insect larvae, kernel corn, egg sacs, crayfish, artificial and live minnows, spinners, spoons, Mepps and wet and dry flies are all great when fishing for trout.Pier

Kifaru Message Board: Rusty Hook: "My favorite spinner is the Panther Martin. It catches golden and brown trout better than any other lure I have tried, but it has its limitations in that it requires a faster retrieve speed to spin the blade. Mepps and Rooster Tails are more forgiving for shallow stream fishing because you do not have to reel them much faster than the current to get the blade to spin. The fish expect the current to bring their food to them but they do not like to move any faster than they have to to get it. That is especially true in lakes. Good luck, Rusty"

Feedback from Trouthunter on 4/24/2008:

"I still use Size 1 or 2 Mepps spinners for Brown Trout and Grayling on Rivers and find them very effective. Last Saturday I caught five Brownies with a Size 1 Mepps Aglia with a silver blade. I cast upstream and begin a slow retreive, they usually hit within three seconds of the spinner hitting the water, or just as the spinner curves towards me after running downstream and then heading towards me on the bank. Your rod should be sensitive enough that you can feel the rythmic pulsing of the spinner blade spinning if you are retreiving at the right speed. Go too slow and you get stuck on weeds and rocks, go too fast and the fish don't bite."

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