Here’s one that has been very effective on bluegill for me this summer. It’s grouse for the hackle and pheasant tail wrapped around the hook for a body.
I long ago lost count of the number of bluegill that have been brought to hand on this fly.
It’s really easy to tie which is a good thing. After 15-20 fish, it’s pretty well battered and bruised and it’s time to tie on a new one.
I tie a very similar fly - little less tail, some peacock herl for the thorax, and a sparser soft hackle ( partridge or hen hackle ) - that is a great fly for trout in sizes 16 and 18. Especially in the early stages of a blue wing olive hatch, as an emerger.
Nicwe looking wee wet, Jeff. I’ve been fishing the soft hackles for some time, mostly for trout and am very pleased with the simple ties and effectiveness of the flies. I tie a similar fly with a shorter tail and golden plover hackle. It’s just deadly.
Can’t make out the body clearly. Is their a ribbing of wire? Really like that fly and I want to tie some up for a small lake near my house they stock with trout.
This is a lovely soft hackle Jeff, I like the clean lines of this fly, the colour isn’t bad either. Is that a body or wing covet feather for the hackle Jeff?
Easy you say… Hmmmmmm…think I’ll definatley try tying this one then.
Jeanne,
This one happens to be a body feather. I’ve used wing too (not the primary flight feathers but the upper wing feathers). I haven’t really noticed any real difference.
I usually go more by the size of the feather (wrap it around the hook and see if it “looks” right.
It’s no "hard fast rule) but it seems that the hackles about 2X the hook gap seems about right. Again, I’m not “scientific” about this, I just tie what looks right.
Thanks everyone for the compliments on the tie. It’s a very effective fly on the bluegill around these parts.
English grouse is a great hackle, but finding it in smaller sizes can be difficult and expensive. Golden Pheasant, on the shoulder of the wings, has feathers that are identical in texture and color, but much much smaller. I use that feather when tying #16 and #18 “Grouse and Green”, which is a dynamite caddis emerger pattern for the Green Rockworm hatches we get here in Oregon.
Hello Mike, let me be the first to welcome you to the board…I’m south of you an hour or so and you made a mid and two tips for my Granger Favorite. Thanks again for the unstanding work.