Tying partridge soft hackles

There have been some really great tips and techniques shared on this thread. Thanks to all for the feedback.

Over the past number of years fishing soft hackle wets has become my preferred method of flyfishing. I just find it a lot of fun and very relaxing as well as being incredibly productive.

It’s good to see we have a nice group of wet fly guys here on PAFF.
 
my method for tying soft hackles is totally different and I’ve been using this method as I was taught 32 years ago. The fibers you are stripping off the stem, I take them and tie them in in several bunches like you would a throat hackle around the circumference of the hook shank. As you tighten down on the thread, the barbles will move around the shank. Usually three bunches of about four or five fibers does the trick and you secure them with several thread wraps making a nice head. This way I can keep the fibers at the length I want and the density I want. I use this method tying a caddis emerger pattern. I tie my hackle more on the sparse side.
 
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Dr.J 1952 said:
my method for tying soft hackles is totally different and I’ve been using this method as I was taught 32 years ago. The fibers you are stripping off the stem, I take them and tie them in in several bunches like you would a throat hackle around the circumference of the hook shank. As you tighten down on the thread, the barbles will move around the shank. Usually three bunches of about four or five fibers does the trick and you secure them with several thread wraps making a nice head. This way I can keep the fibers at the length I want and the density I want. I use this method tying a caddis emerger pattern. I tie my hackle more on the sparse side.
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Could you share an image? It sounds interesting but confusing.
 
GHM said:
Could you share an image? It sounds interesting but confusing.
Click to expand...
Here is a video of Craig Mathews tying his SLS Soft Hackle Emerger. I believe Craig’s technique is similar to, in one step, @Dr.J 1952 ’s technique, but I’ll let @Dr.J 1952 clarify that.

SLS Soft Hackle

www.blueribbonflies.com www.blueribbonflies.com

There are sone differences between the 2 methods. Mathews technique is faster but it may not always result in having the hackle barbules evenly spread around the hook shank If you think that is important. Both techniques allow you to control the length of the fibers, which can be particularly important if you are tying small flies and only have large partridge hackles.

NOTE ON EDIT: I originally said, by mistake, that Mathew’s tying technique was similar to GMH’s technique. I meant to say it was similar to DrJ 1952‘s method. I edited this to correct my original post.
 
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mt_flyfisher said:
Here is a video of Craig Mathews tying his SLS Soft Hackle Emerger. I believe Craig’s technique is similar to, in one step, @GHM’s technique, but I’ll let @GHM clarify that.
Click to expand...
Not quite, I drew a little online picture to clarify (not home at the moment).
IMG 0983

Its not much different from just hackling like one would. I remove part of the longer fibers because it allows for another half a wrap or so before it is too crowded; it evenly spreads the longer fibers. It’s probably one of those things you either love or hate.
 
GHM said:
Could you share an image? It sounds interesting but confusing.
Click to expand...
For those who are not fly tiers, the yellow fibers coming out of the bottom of the streamer fly near the eye is called throat hackle. I use the same principle in tying my soft hackles. I’m just tying it all around the hook. This is my caddis emerger pattern I’ve used for thirty years. I tie them on size 18 and 20 scud hooks. Sometimes I use a small bead, add a trailing shuck or use a few turns of peacock for the head.
IMG 1089
IMG 1090
 
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I agree with you about stripping off half the hackle. I do this a lot but I trim the feather instead of stripping it. I was always told that stripping the feather could cause the stem to be too thin and break.
Just another way of doing the same thing. That's what I like about fly tying. You can always learn something new.
 
Since I seemed to have started this, here's my 2-cents. There are 2 schools of thought on hackling/over hackling/under hackling.

1) Tie on more than you need because the fish with invariably break off the hackles as they hit the fly. This will help the fly last longer and the fly may tend to work better as the hackle barbs number are reduced.

2) DO NOT WIND more than a turn and a half! These are supposed to be legs and though fish can't count, too many fibers will tend to make the better (older) fish ignore your offering. (This is the school that tends to remove the barbs on one of the sides of the feather as well.)

Here are a couple articles/videos that might help you out (from your friendly full service Swapmeister!:))
www.flytyer.com

Wrapping Soft Hackle | Fly Tyer

This quick video illustrates how to prepare and wrap a feather to create a soft hackle. The procedure for wrapping a soft hackle feather is pretty much the same whether you’re using hen hackle or another feather, like Hungarian partridge.
www.flytyer.com www.flytyer.com
www.flytyer.com

Soft Hackle Hacks | Fly Tyer

Simple soft-hackle wet flies imitate nothing in particular yet they catch trout everywhere. Learn the tricks for tying and fishing this important family of patterns.
www.flytyer.com www.flytyer.com

Kim
 
Ok, lots of great ideas on this thread, it’s been great to hear all of the different opinions on this topic and my research has been completed.

I will be tying my pattern for Kimba’s Pear Tree swap by removing one side of the fibers from the partridge feather. However, I will be cutting them off close to the stem instead of actually stripping them off.

I love the sparseness of about 12-15 fibers, the durability isn’t compromised by trimming the one side and I really feel that with all of the fibers coming off the stem in the same configuration is going to improve the motion of the fly in the water.
Swap guys - it’s what you’re gonna get! And I’ve already got one tied!!!


IMG 9279
 
Not to kill a dead horse (or a partridge in this case) but here is a Charlie Craven video on tying a soft hackle that includes a couple of tying tips that might be of interest to some:

 
Good video by Charlie. You can always learn something.
 
Rather than starting a new thread about soft hackles (although maybe that‘s a good idea), I’ve been thinking about soft hackle patterns for winter fishing. I’m thinking smaller, darker patterns to imitate early black and brown stoneflies. Does anyone use magpie herl for soft hackle bodies? What would be a substitute for magpie herl?

Also, Robert Smith from the UK recently posted this great looking stone midge soft hackle on his YouTube page. He uses heron herl for the body and mentioned using grey goose as a substitute. Which goose feather would be the type to use for the herl body?

 
Possibly a small crow covert feather for the soft hackle and a couple of fibers off of a crow wing feather for the body. I’m going to play around with it some tonight because I have the crow feathers. I love a new challenge! I’ll be back shortly.
 
I’m going to let everybody in on Central PA’s greatest secret. We’ve all heard that 10% of anglers catch 90% of the fish. Well that 10% are fishing Stewart’s spiders while the other 90% are matching the hatch, fishing size 32 BWO’s, wondering where they went wrong after following all the internet propaganda. No silk, no heron herl, no colored gooses, just a simple, durable fish catcher all year long. I never tried Davies spider. Never felt a need to complicate it But I’m sure the other 90% of anglers have given it a go. You can thank me later.
 
Very simple flies. I will be tying a few up tonight.
Thanks
 
poopdeck said:
I’m going to let everybody in on Central PA’s greatest secret. We’ve all heard that 10% of anglers catch 90% of the fish. Well that 10% are fishing Stewart’s spiders while the other 90% are matching the hatch, fishing size 32 BWO’s, wondering where they went wrong after following all the internet propaganda. No silk, no heron herl, no colored gooses, just a simple, durable fish catcher all year long. I never tried Davies spider. Never felt a need to complicate it But I’m sure the other 90% of anglers have given it a go. You can thank me later.
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Now what the heck should I do with all of those Sherry Sinner rolls of Pearsall’s silk that everyone said we HAD to have? 🙁

IMG 3592


*Pearsall's Gossamer Pure Silk Thread is the historic fly tying thread used for tying for tying Soft Hackles, Spiders, Wingless Wets and Wet Flies.

😊
 
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