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Soft Hackle Flies


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Not sure what you mean by regular flies. You may know all the things I'm going to tell you, but since your question was brief, bear with me.

 

"Soft-hackle flies" are an old fashioned fish getter tied and fished as subsurface patterns. I like to tie the old classic "Partridge and Orange" with orange ultrawire in place of the floss. They work for me in green, orange, chartreuse, red and gold wires. Wire makes them quick to tie, durable, slightly heavy and attractive to fish and angler alike.

 

They are related to "North Country Spiders" in that they often have no tail and lack the shiny, more stiff type of hackle that will help a dry fly to float. Soft hackle feathers are widely available if you hunt or know hunters who target pheasant, grouse, partridge, quail and that sort of game bird. Good soft hackle feathers have fine, flexible stems and are not overly webby (web is created by hooks on each feather barb that interlock with neighboring barbs). They give the fly bug like movement in the water as the feather flows with the water.

 

Google both the terms in quotation marks above for countless photos, recipes and discussions on their merits. I am a mere student in these matters.

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I love fishing soft hackles!!!

 

Fished down and across... on the swing and they imitate an emerging caddis.

In the film (greased), its a crippled mayfly.

Bottom bounced- dead drift and its and attractor nymph.

Dap them on the surface for emerging diptera.

 

They are my go to fly during a hatch I can't seem to match.

They are excellent for drifting towards cover on a small stream...

 

Check out this site for more on the history of soft hackled flies. http://www.flymph.com/

I've been a member of the IBF since we (flyfishermen.com) started it in 2005, although I haven't paid much attention in the past couple years...).

 

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Soft Hackles are some of my most productive flies, on streams and stillwaters. My very first "go to fly" on a new chunk of water is a product of my imagination :

 

black_hackle.jpg

 

A stillwater and stream favourite(especially on the Columbia River and the Blackwater)Partridge & Pheasant:

 

Partridge_Pheasant.jpg

 

And the Elk River "killer", last year, the #14 Dusty Miller:

 

Dusty_Miller.jpg

 

Elk_River_Cutt_2008.jpg

 

j

 

 

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I fish a lot of soft hackles, winged wets and flynphs. Often swinging braces with my Spey rod, although I love running them with a softer action rod. An older fiberglass or one of my bamboo. I find I get better control and hook ups. Been fishing this style of fly since the mid 60's. Love tying the flies, especially winged wets. Haven't done my tying for this year yet, finally finished up my tying commitments so hopefully soon..

 

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