Wet flies soft hackle and wings

[littlelehigh]

Looking through my box I really don't carry or fish to many wet flies. What general patterns do you folks use. I have caught fish on a lil dorthy (sp) and black gnat with a red head. But what else are there. I also carry the leadwing coachmen but haven't fished it yet.

A pattern for a diving caddis or general egg laying pattern would be greatly appreciated. I have partridge and starling to use for soft hackles and duck quill for married wings.

Thanks for your feedback. On a side note it's great to hear so many beginning tyers getting started this time of the year. I was in your shoes just last year and can tell you it gets easier with time but not cheaper! Keep at it and ask questions! Youtube has a ton of great videos.

 

[jayL]

Corey,

I use PT and HE soft hackles. The PT is a nymph with two or three turns of partridge. The HE is just a few turns of HE dubbing and three turns of partridge. I prefer the lighter colored feathers.

I also carry soft hackle sowbugs, which are a tiny version of the HE in sowbug colors, as well as pink.

As for wings, I carry leadwings for the grannom hatch. Occasionally I will use one when at a loss for ideas, but they are mainly hatch matchers for me.

I also like to swing cdc caddis patterns, They will sink when swung then pop back up through the film. Fish nail them.

 

[bam]

One of my best producers is simply a #16 olive bodied soft hackle using a turn or two of a dun colored soft body feather from a starling. Rib with copper wire or mono if you like. I'll fish this throughout the water column and IMO it makes for a better dry fly than traditional BWOs when loaded with flotant.

Be careful with the starling feathers. They're very fragile.

 

[littlelehigh]

jayL wrote:
Corey,

I use PT and HE soft hackles. The PT is a nymph with two or three turns of partridge. The HE is just a few turns of HE dubbing and three turns of partridge. I prefer the lighter colored feathers.

Thanks for the fast reponses guys!

Jay
On the HE you tie a normal nymph and add the soft hackle behind the eye. I'm just not sure I'm reading your description right.

 

[gfen]

Peacock body, gold ribbing, partridge hackle collar. Add a gold tag if you're feeling saucy.

Simple and effective.

Also like the pennel, esp black. Floss body, silver flat tinsel ribbing, golden phesant tippet tail, black hackle collar. Green and yellow work well here, too.

 

[jayL]

For the PT, I tie a regular nymph with soft hackle behind the eye.

For the HE, I just dub a cigar shape and rib it. No wing case or tails. Soft hackle behind the eye.

And while I'm at it, the soft hackle sowbug, I still use flies I bought at the bighorn so I dunno what to use for hackle. Still looking for a good cheap feather.

 

[bam]

Jay... the hackle on that sowbug looks like a small feather from a light dun hen neck. Thought I saw some at TCO by Villanova last time I was down there for around $7 a neck.

 

[jayL]

bam wrote:
Jay... the hackle on that sowbug looks like a small feather from a light dun hen neck. Thought I saw some at TCO by Villanova last time I was down there for around $7 a neck.

Bam,

Sounds about right. I am at bryn mawr hospital weekly for my leg, so maybe I'll stop in next time. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Jay - if you pick up that hen neck, you might want to tie up some of these. Lots of uses for those feathers. if you don't find a neck at TCO, the show will have lots of them.

H.A.

 

[wayne32pa]

try tying up some english style north country spider patterns very simple but effective in all situations. I've had some good success with these when out with Jayl, and on yellow breeches and stoney in central pa.

http://www.wetfly.co.uk/

http://learnflytying.co.uk/

 

[fritz]

Second Bam's olive wet fly. I go down to an 18 also. For the dun hackle--the feathers from a mallard wing's "shoulder" work for me. Same hackle--different color works well during Hendrickson hatch too,

Had a partridge and orange in my box last spring that hadn't tried in years. One particular evening it was the real deal. I like wet flies and some of the examples in this thread look really good.

 

[maxima12]

wet fly leader formula 7 1/2 footer

24 inches .018

18 inches .015

12 inches .013 or .012

21 inches .010 leave a 9 inch tag for dropper

24 inches .008

loop butt, blood knots, when you get to the 21 inches, the dropper will be tied at the tippet end.

good fishing fellows john fave

 

[troutslammer]

sparkling cadis , h.e soft hackle , p.t soft hackle , olive soft hackle , green partridge soft hackle etc. many good ones. i really like a cdc emerger tied under a nymph. they rise up just enough

 

[bam]

Here's a few wets I tied up tonight and none of them use more than a few materials. In order; a BWO wet using a biot, dubbing and starling feather... a hare's ear using rabbit, gold rib and partridge... a partridge and orange with silver rib... and a hare's ear streamer using a size 10 long shank hook and a larger feather from the butt of the partridge skin

 

[littlelehigh]

Thanks for all the input. I thought I had a starling skin around here somewhere but couldn't find it when I sat down to tie. I sub the light hen hackle for the duck quill and it seemed to work very well.

Hackle length seems to be a personal preference thing with wet flies. I tried to keep mine no longer than the hook itself. Getting the exact size feather isn't easy. Anyone else have a differnet preference? Shorter longer etc.

 

[bam]

Depends on what I'm tying. If it's a sparse or a spider pattern, I like my hackle to extend past the hook. If I'm making a turn of hen up front to simulate legs or wings, I'll keep them shorter.

 

[shakey]

everybody knows i'm a wet fly addict.i can not be without partridge and orange,yellow and green.starling and purple,starling and black using purple thread and cobblers wax,starling or hen and peacock.pheasant tail SH's using hen.i also tye tups indespensible's with hen,grouse or starling in dun,i tye a variation with olive hen.
i tye a dark hen and red uni-thread soft hackle that is very fast and no frills.i don't even rib it.
i like and use pennel's,usually black,although my girl ties them in green too.
i always have winged wets including hare's ears,coachmen(both leadwing and royal)trout fins,cardinals,guinea hens,all olive winged wets without a name,grizzly kings,pink ladies,montreals,telephone boxes,greenwell's glories,and alexandrias in my boxes at all times.
i am starting to get into BIG wet flies when possible,although a starling and purple in 18 isn't unusual for me.
here's a good view of some pretty flies:
http://globalflyfisher.com/patterns/bergman/

 

[DGC]

littlelehigh wrote:

I sub the light hen hackle for the duck quill and it seemed to work very well.

You used the hen neck feather for the wing? Would like to see that. I've tried making wet fly wings with hen neck and saddle feathers but could never make them look "right."

 

[shakey]

BTW,there are times when a winged GHRE and the nymph version will produce exactly the same.

as to your last question,i like my hackle over sized,or long on soft hackles,but "proper" scale on beards.between the two on winged wets,but i'm not rigid on it.my hackle size will vary with the hackle and hooks i have on hand.

 

[BelAirSteve]

Do you fish soft hackles like you would a standard BHPT or GRHE, or do you tend to swing them more? I have only fished wet flies a couple times with no success.