Category Archives: Soft Hackles

Some tips on soft hackles from Brian Wise!

Deb Paskall ties a killer Caddis Nymph that’s highly effective when you have Sedge (Caddis) actively moving and emerging in lakes. Vary the size and body color to match the Sedge/Caddis on your local lakes.

Materials list:
Hook: Size 12 Firehole 718 Curved
Thread: 12/0 Black Waxed
Rib: Fluoro Brite Fl Green
Body: Pheasant Tail
Thorax: Peacock Herl
Hackle: Grouse

From Matt:
“One of the oldest trout fly patterns in existence, the Alder wet fly is at least as old as Dame Juliana Berners historic book “A Treatyse of Fysshynge Wyth an Angle” published in 1496. This version called the Bloody Alder is similar in profile but with a red tag and head.”

Materials list:
Hook: #10-20 standard wet fly
Thread: Red
Rib: Thread
Body: Peacock herl
Hackle: Dark hen soft hackle
Wing: Pheasant tail fibers

Swedish fly tyer Håkan Karsnäser tied this beauty and I ran across it while browsing through Instagram. It was quite accurate and appropriate that he stated this in his post.

“All though I can see the beauty in the colorful and mixture of materials in a fully dressed salmonfly’s wing, I still think that a sparse dressed and delicate softhackle is the most beautiful fly of all.”

You can follow Karsnaser @karsnasan on Instagram. See the recipe below.

Materials list:

Hook: Ahrex FW500 size 16
Tail: Gray Hen
Body: Olive Hare’s Ear Dubbing
Hackle: Gray Hen