Soft Hackles

I've never fished them, and wondered if you guys do. If so, then what
colors and sizes are your favorites for trout? I think I'll tie some
up this winter.

Thanks.

- Dave

On 8 Dec, 17:00, mdk77 wrote:
I've never fished them, and wondered if you guys do. If so, then what
colors and sizes are your favorites for trout? I think I'll tie some
up this winter.

Thanks.

- Dave

I fish a few soft hackles;

http://www.mike-connor.homepage.t-on.../patterns.html

TL
MC

On Sat, 8 Dec 2007 08:00:33 -0800 (PST), mdk77
wrote:

I've never fished them, and wondered if you guys do. If so, then what
colors and sizes are your favorites for trout? I think I'll tie some
up this winter.

Soft hackled Pheasant Tail is deadly! Same with a GRHR. Sizes 16 -
18.

Dave

"mdk77" wrote


wondered if you guys do. If so, then what
colors and sizes are your favorites for trout?

- Dave

Well, Dave, if I absolutely HAD to catch a trout, yes, if my life depended
on it and I was in one of those hypothetical "one fly" situations .... I'd
pick either a Zebra Midge-like fly or a soft hackle, probably a SH ...
you're looking good from my view G

colors and sizes? short answer would be to stay within the same ranges as
"naturals"

one of my favorites that I don't see much other than my own box is an orange
dyed PT body, fine gold wire ribbed, ( this combo has a real 'glow' to it
that I love and trout seem to like ;-), and any of several choices for
hackle ... size #14 is a good, single choice

yellow and gray phase partridge ... #16

muskrat and gray phase partridge ... #18

OR

be creative, damn near any combination that seems good to you .... in the
#8/ 10 down to damn small range ... however don't tie more than a couple of
any given whimsy until you test it and get Mr. Trout's approval


AND,

don't get B.Sed into believing there is "one right way" to fish SH flies ...
they work on the swing ( like a soft hackle :-), with split shot like a
nymph, fluffed up with Frog's Fanny and fished in the film to risers like a
dry, and slowly stripped in like a nymph/streamer would be in a stillwater
/backwater .... and I've caught fish with the fly just hanging behind me in
the water as I moved to a new spot, too lazy to reel in, or stopped to take
a picture and it hung there "motionless"


If your next post is asking about Brassies and Copper Johns the trout are in
trouble

"Larry L" wrote


be creative, damn near any combination that seems good to you ....


probably belongs over at tying forum

BUT

get a good pair of tweezers with a rounded point, grip the very end of the
partridge ( or similar) feather and pull the fibers not gripped to reverse
them, trim the resulting tip and tie in by the tip, then wind a couple turns

IMHO ( and only MY HO ) this results in a nicer tie, especially in smaller
sizes, than tying in by the thicker section ala a dry fly hackle

if you then CAREFULLY wind back through the hackle without tying down any
fibers, the tie becomes much longer lived, trout teeth do nasty things to
soft hackles ... and soft hackles attract trout teeth G

On Dec 8, 10:00�am, mdk77 wrote:
I've never fished them, and wondered if you guys do. �If so, then what
colors and sizes are your favorites for trout? �I think I'll tie some
up this winter.

Thanks.

- Dave

The Soft Hackle King of ROFF is Tom Littleton.
If he reads your post you're in luck.
You'll get a wealth of information.

snip snip


partridge and yellow tied with fine yellow wire has saved my skin many
a day. sizes 12-16

hello mdk77

I thought this was a great great tutorial for the partridge and yellow ,
case you need one.I find it sure helps to watch a good tyer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuqSspUEU4c

thanks , G

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7lofi/index.htm


"Joel *DFD*" wrote in message
...
On Dec 8, 10:00?am, mdk77 wrote:
I've never fished them, and wondered if you guys do. ?If so, then what
colors and sizes are your favorites for trout? ?I think I'll tie some
up this winter.

Thanks.

- Dave

The Soft Hackle King of ROFF is Tom Littleton.
If he reads your post you're in luck.
You'll get a wealth of information.

Larry L wrote:

get a good pair of tweezers with a rounded point, grip the very end of the
partridge ( or similar) feather and pull the fibers not gripped to reverse
them, trim the resulting tip and tie in by the tip, then wind a couple turns

IMHO ( and only MY HO ) this results in a nicer tie, especially in smaller
sizes, than tying in by the thicker section ala a dry fly hackle

I don't use tweezers or anything, but do almost always tie soft
hackles in by the tip end. Learned that way and it just seems
easier.

Favorites, in no particular order:

- Hare's ear and partridge
- PT and partridge
- Partridge and orange
- " and olive
- " and yellow
- Gray partridge and herl
- Grouse and herl
- Grouse and orange (for some reason, on a couple of rivers I
fish regularly this seems to out-fish the P and O.

There are a gazillion variations, but I usually have these in my
box. Hard to find small SF feathers, but a hare's ear and
partridge in #18 can often work wonders....

- JR

Edmond Dantes wrote

partridge and yellow tied with fine yellow wire has saved my skin
many a day. sizes 12-16


In the small freestone mountain creeks of my youthful distant past, most
days had a period when the sun was high and the fish hanging low. Dry fly
action tapered down to slow. My standard approach, at that time of day,
was a partridge and yellow #14 fished upstream just like a dry into the
plunge pools and pockets that define 'fishy' on such lovely little steams.
Almost always you could see the lightly colored SH, well benath the surface,
and the fish that came out of nowhere to eat it .... in many ways this out
performs "dry fly" for intense visual fishing entertainment.

I always "thought" that the P&Y worked so well because of drowned pale duns
and little yellow stones, both of which are common on the streams I fished
.... but Willi thinks it was because I put the fly where the fish wanted it
G .... either way, I am sitting here with a big smile, just remembering
the pleasure of those creeks, the sneaking, the climbing over boulders, the
fishing down on one knee ( hurts just thinking about it now ) and the flash
as that SH disappeared into a trout's mouth.