shoebop 0 Report post Posted March 22, 2013 I can hardly believe that I haven't replied to this poll before now. I love to fish wets! Soft hackles and winged wets. If there is no hatch and you can't see any rises I will have at least one wet on usually with a weighted dropper as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Horseshoes 0 Report post Posted August 7, 2013 I think the responses for this poll is great. It is the differences between the soft hackle and winged that amazes me. I would have thought it would have been the winged that were preferred. I wonder if it is because the winged aren't used as much or is it that the wings appears to be more difficult to tie? So.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vicrider 0 Report post Posted August 7, 2013 HS, IMO winged wets were never tied to actually simulate anything in the water, rather to please the eye of the tyer. Almost all wings of insects in the water are transparent, or not even popped out until they hit surface. The quiver of the hackle on a soft hackle gives that appearance of life as it tries to struggle to the surface. A Parmachene Belle might be a beautiful tie when done by a good wing man, but a simple floss and hackle on a light wire hook between 14-18 does a much better job or representing life in the water. For those larger bugs I like a flat segmented woven body with soft hackle in front of a small bead with dubbing way up front. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
troutguy 0 Report post Posted October 4, 2013 I think the responses for this poll is great. It is the differences between the soft hackle and winged that amazes me. I would have thought it would have been the winged that were preferred. I wonder if it is because the winged aren't used as much or is it that the wings appears to be more difficult to tie? So.... I believe you are correct Horseshoes. Most do not know how to tie winged wets. They get frustrated with the technique and many of the instructors that are teaching our new tiers can not master the technique either. Many of the fly tiers/tyers I know do not challenge or push themselves. We have a generation of Wooly bugger tiers. Yes wool buggers, san juan worms, midges do catch fish, but...... Vic not to argue, but drown a caddis adult, a dun stage adult mayfly, stonefly, moth, etc in a bowl of water and tell me if you see wings. The problem with many flies are that the hackle section is too thick to make life like movement. Less is more, except at night. Those wings push water creating vibration and the provide a nice silhouette against the night sky. (I mean dark dead of night sky). Take for example the Pickett Pin, a mighty good fly day or night. They take skill to tie a good one so you don't see many African, Chinese or Vietnamese produced Pickett Pins. They look like stoneflies, Dobson Flies (adult hellgrammites) caddis or even a small minnow. I think we owe it to the sport to teach and show others. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
atxdiscgolfer 0 Report post Posted October 12, 2013 Horseshoes- if i had to choose 1 wet fly to use it would be a Copper Hare Partridge is size 14 or 16. I have caught several fish on it over the years, and easy to tie in case you have to tie streamside. Copper Wire for the body, Hares Ear dubbing (i prefer dark Hares Ear Plus from Hareline) and Hungarian Patridge Natural for the hackle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Horseshoes 0 Report post Posted October 14, 2013 atxdiscgolfer I believe the copper hare partridge is in most every fly box I have seen. They are a quiet standby, one that seems to work in this neck of the woods. We have some quick waters here where the winged wet imitates a lot of the minnows. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
