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TedderX

Soft Hackle Flies

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It seems you don't really hear much talk about soft hackle flies anymore, if at all.

 

All I really know is they're wet flies.

 

Who can enlighten me more on them?

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Not hearing much about them? Maybe because they're not "new". They're not "articulated". They don't have beautiful wings, most have no tail, many live with a few wraps of thread for body and a wrap of soft hackle. They are and always will be a fish catching machine in many situations, particularly when fish are grabbing the wiggly on it's way to the surface but before it shakes loose. They can be simple like this thread and hackle version that would be called a North Country Spider because of the longer and sparse hackle. This and most early models is tied with Pearsall's silk thread, as are most of my soft hackles.

softhackle4_zps98d063a8.jpg

 

This a version with wire body, herl collar to help hold the partridge soft feather from collapse.

softhackle6_zps3a2b6e05.jpg

 

This is a silk thread with glass bead for slight weight and holding hackle out. My hackle is too long on this. Sorry.

softhackle2_zpsfe97fde9.jpg

 

This is a silver body over a lead base. Partridge wing above and below. Partridge soft hackle in front. Designed to sink faster and give flash of air bubble carried toward bottom. A version of soft hackle showing a different use that most purists would not consider a soft hackle because of lead and body.

wd1_zps3621c8cf.jpg

 

So, many variations of soft hackle are out there and though partridge is the main donator to our tying I have tied soft hackle with starling, blackbird, duck, quail, turkey, and there are many other birds out there I'm sure others have used.

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Soft hackles are fish catchers. Across and down with the Leisinring lift at the end of the swing is a very effective technique. Very simple tie that has worked for years (centuries ?) Well worth the time to learn to tie and fish them in my opinion.

 

Les

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Soft hackle DON"T work, and the reason is pretty simple. They are too easy to tie, and they don't require enough materials to keep fly shops in business. I mean how can a fly that uses a few as 2 materials ever catch fish.

 

They have been around for far too long (about 400 years that we know about,) and there are thousands of new patterns now. Each new pattern uses dozens and dozens of the latest new stuff, lots of new stuff, and you have to have the latest new stuff, just ask anyone.

 

Here is what you really need. Sorry some of these might use 3 materials.

 

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post-12074-0-19462400-1471145201_thumb.jpg

post-12074-0-14445000-1471145248_thumb.jpg

post-12074-0-65280800-1471145263_thumb.jpg

post-12074-0-19478300-1471145317_thumb.jpg

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If you're really interested in learning to tie and fish soft-hackles--and I will add my voice to those who have already advised you that these are things well worth learning about--then you should check out some of the writings of the late Sylvester Nemes, particularly his books The Soft-Hackled Fly and The Soft-Hackled Fly Addict. Both are available used through Amazon.

 

I'll tell you this, too -- I've caught some of the best trout of my fishing life on soft hackles--in many cases, trout that were so large and/or "educated" that I wouldn't have ever believed they'd hit such a simple fly if I hadn't seen it for myself. I never set foot in a trout stream without at least a few of them in my fly box.

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I absolutely love tying and fishing small soft hackle flies. The first real

success I had with them was to imitate chrionomids in southeastern

Massachusetts ponds and lakes. I use stretch nylon for the body,

ribbed with fine gold wire, a small dry fly dubbed thorax, and grizzly

hen hackle (wrapped sparse). Sometimes, I can squeeze 2-3 flies

from a single hackle feather. These flies have worked surprisingly

well in situations where other flies just won't produce. Give them a

try, I think you will find a "new" secret weapon.

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Don't let the cat out of the bag, but one could probably fish soft hackles exclusively and never have to resort to any other fly pattern for Trout. Here is another read that I find useful and interesting:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Tying-Fishing-Soft-Hackled-Nymphs-Allen/dp/1571884033

 

 

PT/TB

 

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I think the McGee book, Tying and Fishing Soft-Hackled Nymphs, should become a classic. Great techniques in the book about how to fish soft-hackled flies.

 

Randy

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tctrout, you live in a different world than I do if you can calmly recommend a $290 book USED, $630 new. I try to save up that much to make a trip with, not buy a book.

 

Planettrout, I think the use of soft hackle with nymphs is an understudied. Some time back there a thread on nymphs with CDC tied in for same idea, more lifelike movement, and the OP had said their comparisons definitely gave the nod to the CDC. Soft hackle should do much the same in bottom hugging nymphs and is seldom in a recipe.

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