soft hackle question

[redietz]

How long should the collar be on a soft hackle fly?

When I first started tying them, the "rule" was presented to me that "half the hook length is too short, one and a half times the hook length is too long, and every thing in-between is fine."
It's as good a rule as any; I usually go for just longer than the hook.

Here's two illustrations of the same fly (a Partridge and Orange) from the two classic works on soft hackles - North Country Flies by T.E. Pritt on the left (from 1885) and Brook and River Trouting by Edmonds and Lee (from 1916). (These are P.D. images - the copyrights have long expired.)

image001.jpgPO-EL1.jpg

The one on the left has hackle that may be a bit on the long side for today's taste, but it wouldn't be "wrong" make at that length. The one on the right is about the size I try for.