first soft hackle

[Trout Fever]

i think its soft hackle... tyed this to night probably not on the right hook but what do you think i used pheasant tail for the tail and body peacock herl for the thorax and soft grizzly hackle heres a couple pictures of the same fly let me know what you think




john

 

[PRomano]

Looks good for a first attempt. Soft hackles are traditionally tied with partridge instead of the rooster hackle. Partridge is much softer and therefore you will get more action out the fly as it swings through the current.

Forum member Soft-Hackle has a website devoted to soft hackles or flymphs as they are sometimes called. Here's the link. Flymphs,Soft-Hackles and Spiders.

 

[weirdnjfly]

looks awesome

 

[Trout Fever]

what type of Partridge hackle ? hungarian partridge hackle?

 

[PRomano]

what type of Partridge hackle ? hungarian partridge hackle?

Yes Hungarian Partridge. Hareline Dubbing is a good brand. They package feathers or complete skins. I prefer the complete skin because you get a better range of sizes and color patterns.

 

[Walter H]

That's a well dressed fly, and it's basically one of the english "classic" phesant treatments. The others are 100% right about the Partridge, but I'm sure with your hackle dressing it would still catch fish. I don't see a rib, but you probably want to add some kind of rib (like ultra wire) for durability. Have you ever played around with Turkey biots? It's a great way to add sementation and save the phesant for other apps...

 

[smittin]

partridge is probably the most used soft hackle. I find hen is cheaper and easy to use. I would stay away from packets, they are cheap for a reason(few feather's of usable size). Starling is probably one of the more common skins that are not that expensive and have lots of small feathers. There so many types of hackles you can use. I am still a novice fly tier

 

[JeffK]

Your fly looks good - but I will offer a few more comments.

A lot of gamebirds have nice soft hackles as do many hens - partridge is a good one, but not the only one. If you get a hen neck or saddle get a natural one, not a dyed one. Collins Hackle has some very nice hen necks and saddles. An old favorite soft hackle is the Gray Hackle Peacock which uses grizzly hen, or other light mottled feathers. Starling is a great feather for smaller wets. It is better to get a whole skin so you can pick just the feather you need.

A lot of old timers used stiffer hackles in the riffles and softer hackles in slow water. The traditional Spanish wet flies which have been used for at least 400 years (any pattern used for four centuries has to be OK) use stiff Coq de Leon feathers. Stiff hackles do have a place with wet flies.

Finally, your proportions are fine - but there are different schools of thought. Your tie has proportions close to that of a modern nymph - which is fine for emerging nymphs and works well. Other schools of thought emphasize the hackle by reducing or eliminating the tail and extending the body to the barb or even the point of the hook.

More than one way to tie any pattern.

 

[NJpatbee]

If you do start tying the soft-hackles on a regular basis buying (or shooting) the whole skin is the way to go. In addition to the partridge and starling, the ruffed grouse and American woodcock have some great soft-hackle. I also have an English snipe for a couple of patterns, but stick with the starling to start.