Soft hackle "nymphs" are generally tied on 1xl or 2xl hooks with the body and thorax dubbed of natural fur. When tied with a tail these flies imitate emerging mayflies. Less tail- emerging caddis.
Traditional soft hackle "wet" fly bodies will be tied with either thread (silk) or floss.
By adjusting size and colors an angler can effectively cover the "bugs" in his or her favorite waters.
The common method of fishing a soft hackle in the river is casting across and allowing the fly to sink. At the end of the drift the fly will rise in the water column effectively imitating a natural emerging. In lakes, a soft hackle can be cast to cruising fish and twitched or slowly retrieved. This can be absolutely deadly!
The addition of adding weight via beads—glass, tungsten or brass—is common practice nowadays. Don't be afraid to incorporate these in to the pattern.
Materials
Hook: TMC 2499SPBL (or traditional wet wet hook), sizes 8-16
Thread: 8/0 color to match
Rib: Copper wire, fine
Tail: 3 or 4 pheasant tail fibers
Body: Same as tail
Thorax: Peacock herl
Hackle: Partridge, mottled brown
Step 1:
Pinch barb with vise. Secure hook. Start thread wraps one eye length behind eye and make a few wraps.
Step 2:
Tie in ribbing and advance even wraps of thread to position shown.
Step 3:
Select 3 or 4 pheasant tail fibers. Align tips on the stem by drawing them 90-degrees and cut close to stem.
Make two securing wraps and then advance thread to the thorax area.
Step 3a:
The first turn or two of pheasant will be back over the thread wraps. Counter-wrap forward. Leave plenty of room between thorax region and eye.
Step 4:
Make even segmented wraps of copper wire forward. If desired, the thorax can be tied in first then wrapped with the ribbing.
Step 5:
Tie in one herl and wrap forward to close touching wraps. Ensure not to crowd the eye area.
Step 6:
Prep partridge feather and tie in by tip as pictured.
Step 7:
Lift hackle straight up and stroke fibers back. Take one or two wraps of partridge and secure with thread back near tie in point. Whip finish. Apply one or two coats of head cement.
Enjoy!
Nice article in Aug/Sept FF mag by Yvon Chouinard about fishing the above pattern exclusively for a year. Different sizes, with and without beads, fresh and salt water. He says his fish count didn't change vs previous seasons. Simply a simple and effective pattern. I'll occasionally put a flashback on some of mine.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to run them naked as above. Most of my strikes come nearly downstream at the end of the swing.
ReplyDelete