R.A.T. Soft Hackle

[flytyierforheir 0]

This is my R.A.T. Soft Hackle fly and i have tweaked a local favorite here on the Little Red River in Arkansas. In the fly shops when one looks at Soft-hackles, ther're either a solid wire body, ribbed with superfine wire, or not weighted whatsoever. I wacthed the emergers while on the water one day and noticed that the fish mainly respond to the swinging movement or "emerging" rise of the flies. Although the wire body flies would swing upward, they would never quite make it out of the lower half of the water column, the stingy ribbed flies didn't start low enough, and the unweighted ones wouldent rise before your drift is over. (unless you stop your line which indeed does make it rise, but much too quick and very unnaturaly)

 

My solution was this R.A.T. Fly (which stands for Red A** Twisty, Red A** being the original pattern) which has a body which you take your wire and measure out the lenght of you body, cover the wire with thread, and then proceed to rib the body giving it just enough weight to sink quickly and make it back up the water column before the end of my drift. The heavier the current, the closer you put the ribs.

[letumgo 0]

Great idea with the variable rib spacing. I like this one a lot, and need to add some to soft hackle box shortly. Great job!

[flytyierforheir 0]

Thank you, I'll tie up some varriants for you. Where are you fishing? (so that I could make some in colors you could use)

 

[shezli 0]

Awesome!

Sounds like you're in for a gang of fish.

S

[Soft-hackle 0]

Very nice, and a great addition to any wingless wet collection.

 

Mark

[flytyierforheir 0]

Thank you sir.

[flytyierforheir 0]

Here is the Original Soft Hackle patter that spawned my own

 

 

 

[Ron Eagle Elk 0]

Glad my photo was an inspiration, flytyierforheir. The tier of that particular fly was Wayne Kohan, from a swap I hosted on another site.

[flytyierforheir 0]

Actually the fly that inspired me was not as well tied as this one. But im sorry for the misuse of my words, I should have put that style of fly instead of that fly. However, that fly is a great example of the original.