Tips for Fishing a Soft Hackle

Anybody got any tips on how to effectively fish a soft hackle. . . i.e. with/without a weight, indicator, etc.?

It's hard to fish a softhackle wrong. It was my fly of choice today. I first started out in a narrow, deep run, and used 3 #6 splt shot and an indicator with a dead drift, then moved upstream a bit where it was broader and shallower and removed 2 of the shot and reset my indicator to about 2' deep. Moved again to a shallower stretch and used the same fly without weight or indicator on a quartering downstream cast. Moved again, using the same fly weightless on a dead drift in slightly deeper, slower water. Caught fish in every stretch on the same fly, with different methods for each type of water.

I agree with RG/AR - great fly fished a variety of ways. My favorite is the down and across wet fly swing - a little upstream mend when your line first lays out is helpful, as it gives the fly a little more time to sink. I usually fish mine unweighted, altho I know that some people like beadheads. Most of my strikes come near the end of the downstream drift, when the fly is starting to rise in the water column (like an emerger). You might enjoy taking a look at a couple of books by Sylvester Nemes - the Soft Hackle Fly and the Soft Hackle Fly Addict.

Dennis

Ditto on the Nemes books. He's the patron saint of the soft hackle.

Dave Hughes also has a good book on fishing them.

soft hackle also works wonders in warmwater lakes for bluegill. bringing it in just slow enough to get some emotion in the motion works well. depends on the day, season, etc. JGW

Be sure to try them when you see fish rising! That's right, in the middle of summer when you see a bunch of fish rising to caddis or mayflies it doesn't matter. Start at the head of a pod of fish rising in a riffle and work your way down (best to do this in low light or really watch your shadow). Cast across stream and let the fly swing it's way down. Let it hang all the way down, even in shallow water (less than 1' some times). Don't set the hook too quickly, let the fish have it at first. You will be amazed at how many fish you will find that are feeding slightly sub-surface on emergers when you otherwise would have thought of fishing dries.

BTW I use a single #4 or #6 tungsten split shot about 20" above the fly. Don't let it get too close to the fly or it won't "swim" as well. A tippet knot is a convenient "stopper" for split shot. Other option is to fish two flies as droppers, the first a bead-head soft hackle, trailer unweighted.

Fishing soft-hackles is a blast good luck.

-John

Above where John speaks of not setting the hook too quickly, a good method to use is the slip- strike.
When you set the hook,just lift the rod without clamping your rod hand finger on the line. This way the fly moves enough to ***** the fish but the line will slip out not allowing the tippet to break.
Takes a little practice, but when the trout are bangin' caddis emergers, you'll have plenty to practice on.

Edit: It's funny I can use a word like "bangin'" but I cann't use the word pr!ck.


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"The trout were laughing so hard at us that they considered evolving legs so they could crawl on to land and catch their breath"
Dave Barry



[This message has been edited by dudley (edited 27 October 2005).]

White43 - couple of questions if you're willing concerning soft hackles for bluegills. 1.] what size are you fishing; 2.] patterns [colours]; 3.] are you using weight [beadheads, etc.].

I have used the fly in the past mainly in the spring using unweighted flies. Less seccess later in deeper water.

Tks.

Donald

standard nymph/dry fly 10s and 12s, dubbing with brown/gray/white, then a couple of three wraps of soft hackle from mallard flank or partridge. Don't know if this even has a name. It's just something I tie. I'll wrap in an undercoating of lead wire every once in a while. While it's drab looking, having a bluegill on the end of it picks up the coloration pretty well. I'll use a darker dubbing with a lighter feather, and visa versa because I have this odd notion that contrast makes a more effective fly. You might note that "palmering" in the soft hackle takes patience on my part, so I'd never sit down and tie a dozen of these in a setting. A couple here and there just to unwind. JGW

Sorry, missed your last question: unweighted this fishes under the surface film several inches, but above weeds. I also like throwing it into shaded overhangs.

[This message has been edited by white43 (edited 30 October 2005).]

Soft Hackle Wet Flies are wonderful, using the "Tenkara" style of Fly Angling.

The fly is laid (a short distance) out on the water and with a gentle lifting and lowering of the rod tip, the hackle of the fly impart a life-like moment to the fly, as the fly rises and then sinks, below the surface of the water. It is very effective, on stream and stillwater fisheries.

Tks Mr. White43.

Donald