Friday Flies: Soft Hackle
Soft Hackle tied by Ryan Ratliff
Soft hackles, swinging, and trout keep me mentally stable in the winter time. I would love to be fishing for bass, but when the water temps drop into the 30’s this can be a lost cause. My second love is the simple, methodical, and mentally relaxing act of swinging a fly. Although we would all love to be fishing…shorter days and icy guides often lead me to more time sitting at the vise than standing in the river. There is something about tying a simple soft hackle fly that I have always enjoyed. I am not sure if it is the ability to replenish the box quickly or that it does not take much prep or thinking. Maybe it is my admiration of classic looking flies also.
Color has long been something that has intrigued my curiosity. Light spectrums are way over my understanding, but it is hard to deny that fluorescent colors get the attention of Rainbows and anadromous fish. I guess you could swing a bright colored egg, but that does not set well with the fly tyer in me. Typical or classic soft hackles do not usually contain the bright colors to trigger the response that I am looking for from the fish. Why not go beyond just adding a hot spot? Why not add contrasting fluorescent colors to a classic pattern? Take all of this into account and thus a colorful take on an old standby came to life. Play around with different fluorescent materials and colors to give this pattern your own flair. Let us know what you come up with and how it is fishing on your home waters!
Below is our step-by-step on how to tie the Soft Hackle pictured above. The full list of materials can be found below.
Step 1: Place the Daiichi 1530 size 6 in the vise.
Step 2: Start your chartreuse thread back on the bend of the hook and wrap forward to where the flat part of the shank starts. Whip finish and cut thread.
Step 3: Coat chartreuse thread with a UV resin of your choice. Cure the resin making sure that it fully cures.
Step 4: Start Fl. Fire Orange thread where the chartreuse stops. Wrap thread all the way up to the hook eye and back to the chartreuse thread.
Step 5: Tie in a strand of Saltwater Flashabou in Pearl. Make sure to lay a smooth base of thread wraps forward almost to the hook eye. Place a half hitch on the hook and put the thread over the bobbin cradle.
Step 6: Wrap the Flashabou forward to the half hitch and tie off at that point.
Step 7: Coat Flashabou evenly in UV resin. Cure UV resin thoroughly.
Step 8: Apply a thin noodle of dubbing to the thread. Wrap dubbing into a tight ball. Make sure to leave a hook eye length of space by the eye.
Step 9: Select, prep, and tie in a hen saddle feather of the appropriate size. Wrap feather forward with tight side by side wraps. Continue with wraps until the collar is slightly denser than a usual soft hackle. Tie feather off, whip finish, and trim thread.
Step 10: Apply Z-Ment and your done!
Hook: Daiichi 1530 Fly Hooks
Threads: Veevus 6/0 in Chartreuse and UTC 140 in Fl. Fire Orange
Body: Saltwater Flashabou in Pearl
Feather: Whiting Farms American Hen Saddle in Mottled Gray Wild Type
UV Resin: Loon UV Clear Thin
UV Light: Loon Plasma Light
