My first soft hackle.

[flytire 0]

[Cold 0]

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[McFlyLures 0]

Feedback would depend heavily on what you're trying to tie.

 

If you're just tying a "Soft Hackle", then you get two thumbs up. Nothing at all wrong with your interpretation of the style.

 

If you're going for "True to Style North Country Spider", then there's a bit more of a rigid rubric against which to stack the fly, and at that point is where the body is a touch long in the first fly and fat in the second, hackle is a bit long and a bit heavy as well. Finally, for aesthetics, you amy consider using finer wire or losing it altogether.

 

Even at that, though, it's very minor criticism.

Just a soft hackle...

[Pabrookie94 0]

Sorry for the late reply. But I usually do 1.5-2 wraps as well. However, your flies look great and if they fish well I wouldn't change a thing!

[McFlyLures 0]

I've gone to using hen hackle mostly for my soft hackles. Course if you are tying "partridge"and orange then one would expect to see partridge on the hook lol. I'm not so much a purist though. I have seen wire ribs on SHs but I have not or don't remember seeing it on this pattern till today on yours. I use shorter hackle than you did on my SHs and two turns. I see nothing wrong with the head, though I might make mine a bit smaller. I tend to tie these on straight wet fly hooks personally ( 3906B sounds familiar, maybe 9671 Mustads, I'd have to open my fly case to look but I'm on the couch right now with my morning coffee). Nothing says you can't use a bent hook, yours might be a tad long but I bet salmon would like them that way.

 

One of my favorite SH patterns ( because the fish think so) is peacock and hen. On that you might expect to see a fine copper rib counter wound over the herl, fwiw. Mine has no rib but I think the next round of them I tie will have a silver tag wrap or a gold floss tag wrap at the back. Yep, I think my fish will like that !

What size range usually? I think these were on a size 20 hook...

[redietz 0]

Feedback would depend heavily on what you're trying to tie.

 

If you're just tying a "Soft Hackle", then you get two thumbs up. Nothing at all wrong with your interpretation of the style.

 

If you're going for "True to Style North Country Spider", then there's a bit more of a rigid rubric against which to stack the fly, and at that point is where the body is a touch long in the first fly and fat in the second, hackle is a bit long and a bit heavy as well. Finally, for aesthetics, you amy consider using finer wire or losing it altogether.

 

Even at that, though, it's very minor criticism.

 

From an historical point of view, the hackle isn't necessarily too long. My avatar is Pritt's illustration of the Orange Partridge (aka Partridge and Orange) from North Country Flies. Note the length of the hackle. Modern sensibilities seem to prefer a somewhat shorter hackle, but a "True to Style North Country Spider" did have hackle that long. (Remember, the hackle is not just wings and legs, but tails.)

 

All of the other observations you make valid, and I'd add that historically, the feather should come from the middle of the back, rather than the neck (which are much lighter colored feathers.)

 

And again, a very minor criticism, and only when trying to duplicate the traditional fly. I'd fish the fly posted in an instant.

[Cold 0]

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[tietofish 0]

According to a respected soft expert of my acquaintance, the best partridge feathers for North Country style soft hackle "spiders" are the brown ones from the middle of the bird's back, and sparse wraps are better than too many. Also, hackle lengths on the traditional patterns tend to be somewhat longer than the "modern" 1.5 X hook gape standard, and the barbs are (were) usually tied at 90 degrees to the hook shank. Some of the old timers even "kicked" the hackle forward a tad by finishing the tie-off behind the hackle rather than in front. This allows the hackle to move more freely in the current as opposed to collapsing against the shank. Very fine gold wire ribbing is acceptable on a partridge and orange.

[flytyerinpa 0]

I think I read that soft hackle flys can be tied on hook sizes from 12 - 18 nothing larger than a 12 Hans uses a Kamasan B405 hook which is a short shank dry fly hook, not having access to them I think I'm going to try using a Mustad 3399 size 15

[corney 0]

My first fly tying book was by Dave Hughes and he tied his really thin and sparse with the hackle laying back more if I remember correctly?

 

That the bug I learnt how to tie hackle back. Front to back: tight, tighter and tightest.

[Dave G. 0]

 

I've gone to using hen hackle mostly for my soft hackles. Course if you are tying "partridge"and orange then one would expect to see partridge on the hook lol. I'm not so much a purist though. I have seen wire ribs on SHs but I have not or don't remember seeing it on this pattern till today on yours. I use shorter hackle than you did on my SHs and two turns. I see nothing wrong with the head, though I might make mine a bit smaller. I tend to tie these on straight wet fly hooks personally ( 3906B sounds familiar, maybe 9671 Mustads, I'd have to open my fly case to look but I'm on the couch right now with my morning coffee). Nothing says you can't use a bent hook, yours might be a tad long but I bet salmon would like them that way.

 

One of my favorite SH patterns ( because the fish think so) is peacock and hen. On that you might expect to see a fine copper rib counter wound over the herl, fwiw. Mine has no rib but I think the next round of them I tie will have a silver tag wrap or a gold floss tag wrap at the back. Yep, I think my fish will like that !

What size range usually? I think these were on a size 20 hook...

 

Sorry I just saw that you asked about the size ( I guess you mean that I tie them at). I tie them in size 16 and sometimes 14. I also tie a complete variation with a bead head on it. Sometime in my life I might have tied an 18 but pretty sure never on a #20 hook. I only tie a very limited selection of patterns in #20, mostly midges.

[vicrider 0]

I tie many versions of soft hackles and yours will catch fish anywhere you want to fish them if size and colors are right that day. I was going to mention I think your hook is wrong for fly shop bin soft hackles but not for the river. This first pic is of a poor shot of a reasonably true to form North Country Spider. short body, long hackle thinly wrapped. I actually tore on side of the hack off in this one to get the look they used to go for. What looks like a tail is just a part of neck hackle.

 

This is a type of soft hackle tie that both gives a little extra color and helps to keep the partridge from collapsing along hook shank.

 

This is a soft hackle with herl behind the hackle again to stand out and hold hackle more upright in water. The body is this is BR size wire wrapped for extra sink.

 

This is just a full bodied and tailed soft hackle showing the versatility. Haven't thrown it at a trout but panfish love it.

 

And this is tied on a 20 hook with starling soft hackle. Variety in soft hackle is unlimited and it is being used more in nymph patterns, along with CDC.