Soft Hackle Help

[SteveW]

I can't seem to get the hang of the soft hackle fly. When using partridge, do you only use the feathers on the shoulders, the grizzly looking ones?

steve

[narcodog]

You can use most of the feathers from a partridge. One thing is to buy a whole skin. Those little packages are almost a waist of time.. The feathers from the back, neck and wing coverts work very well. You can tye them in by the tip of the feather or the stalk. If you tye them in by the tip you can just doa typical hackle wrap or you can do a thorax wrap. If you do a thorax wrap have your thread hanging back about two eye lengths, wrap the hackle back then weave you thread back through the hackle, tye off and whip a head.

I know threre are some demo's here but you can also find some on http://www.danica.com

[Byron haugh]

There are a couple methods of using those "wasted" larger feathers for even small soft hackles. If you do a search on youtube, you will find them.
If I see a link, I will post it here.
Byron

[ScottP]

Here's a decent SBS from Allen McGee (his book, Tying and Fishing Soft-Hackled Nymphs, is excellent, by the way):

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flyt...070207fotw.php

If I want it a little sparser, I'll strip the fibers off the side of the feather that is wrapped down first (hard to explain; I'll take a pic)



and a good video on how to use those bigger feathers (of course, it helps if you can tie like Craig Mathews):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plCfNp1MB2A


Regards,
Scott

[CoachBob]

The main problem I see with tyers tryng soft hackle for the first time is using too much hackle.
Strip all the barbles off of one side of the feather. Tie in the feather by the tip and then wrap around shank.
Sparse is the key.

[whatfly]

Here's a decent SBS from Allen McGee (his book, Tying and Fishing Soft-Hackled Nymphs, is excellent, by the way):

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flyt...070207fotw.php

[snip]

Agree with ScottP, McGee's book is EXCELLENT and a must read for anyone interested in soft-hackles. Would also strongly recommend Dave Hughes' Wet Flies.

From a partridge, I mostly use the neck and shoulder feathers for soft hackles. Any "soft" feather can work (e.g. hen, starling, chukar, grouse) depending on size of fly and technique.

[EdD]

So much for the idea of getting through this week without a trip to Amazon...
(Although I've already got, and read, Hughes' Wet Flies.)
Whenever I go to Starbucks, other people are reading novels, the NY Times, homework (for students)... Ed reads FF books and mags.
I'm currently enjoying the Chalkstream Chronicle by Neil Patterson. I can heartily recommend it, if you can find a copy.
http://www.amazon.com/Chalkstream-Ch...ream+Chronicle

Regards,
Ed

[AlanB]

The main problem I see with tyers tryng soft hackle for the first time is using too much hackle.
Strip all the barbles off of one side of the feather. Tie in the feather by the tip and then wrap around shank.
Sparse is the key.

Must admit that I never use or recommend this practise. If you can double the hackle and take fewer turns then do. By stripping the stem on one side. you need twice the length of stem to get the same number of barbs. That will result in an over sized head. Especially as the stem on a partridge hackle tapers so steeply.
Cheers,
A.

[ScottP]

I stripped the barbs off one side of the partridge feather on these and had no problem (that I saw) with oversized heads:

pheasant tail







partridge & peacock







b/h pheasant tail







biot & peacock







wire body






Regards,
Scott

[EdD]

Scott, to be fair, you're an above-average tyer.

Ed, moving from toad to green (with envy) frog...