I tied these two little flies last night. I won't go into the history of Soft-Hackle flies but I can attest to their effectiveness still today. I've caught everything from Trout, to Carp, to Panfish on wet flies of some kind or another. Although they can be tied to imitate specific insects, some of the best patterns are those that are the most suggestive. When I studied figure drawing at the Maryland Institute College of Art I learned the importance of capturing the "essence" of the subject through a quick sketch or "Gesture" drawing rather than get caught in the details. Wet Flies and traditional Soft Hackles are "Sketches" of potential food items for the fish. There's just enough information there to suggest life, and a possible meal for a hungry fish. I highly recommend giving them a try if you haven't already. Also, from a tying standpoint there is quiet beauty in their simplicity. They are easy to tie as well making them excellent for new tiers out there. If your in Maryland and want to know more about Soft-Hackle Flies or need the materials to tie them (some of which are hard to find) I highly recommend stopping in Great Feathers located near the Gunpowder River.
Left Fly:
Hook: Tiemco 3761 sz.16
Thread: Uni 8/0 in Yellow
Body: Turkey Biot dyed Sulphur Orange
Thorax: Fly Rite Poly Dubbing in Pale Watery Yellow tied very sparsely in a split thread dubbing loop
Hackle: Hungarian Partridge
Right Fly:
Hook: Tiemco 3761 sz.18
Thread: Uni 8/0 in Olive Dun
Body: Stripped Peacock Quill (Polish Quill) dyed Olive
Thorax: Nature's Spirit Emergence Dubbing in Blue Winged Olive tied very sparsely
Hackle: Small grey feather from a Pigeon ( I find them on the street!! )
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