Wet flies/soft hackles

[Pontus]

How do you fish them? I have some wet flies that I bought, and I just tied up some hare's ear soft hackles. I've heard people say you fish them on the swing. What does this mean, exactly?

Also, will my soft hackles catch trout?

FYI: The bottom one has a tail.

 

[afishinado]

Pontus wrote:
How do you fish them? I have some wet flies that I bought, and I just tied up some hare's ear soft hackles. I've heard people say you fish them on the swing. What does this mean, exactly?

Also, will my soft hackles catch trout?

FYI: The bottom one has a tail.

The classic way to fish wets is to cast quartering downstream and let the current swing the fly across the stream until it ends up directly below you. You than can let the fly hang in the current, strip in for a few feet and pick up and recast.

I often cast my wets quartering upstream to get some depth, follow the fly with my rod high, and let it drift down and swing as written above.

Wets are a great way to cover the water. Also, since the line is tight on the swing, strike detection is not a problem. I suggest you use heavier tippet 3 or 4x at the lightest to avoid break-offs when the fish hits your fly on a tight line.

To cover the water thoroughly, make a short, medium and long cast, and fish each cast as detailed above. Now take a couple of steps down stream and repeat. This will allow you to cover all the water thoroughly. It's a great way to fish and actually one of the easiest ways to learn FFing.

Good luck. Let us all know how you make out.

 

[Fishidiot]

What Afish said.
And yes, your flies will catch trout. Generally speaking, wet flies, nymphs, and streamers usually don't require the technical accuracy in tying as dry flies. Scruffy wet flies and nymphs are often very effective, esp when tied with soft materials like your wets.

 

[jayL]

I usually catch more fish just nymphing with them. I'll add some weight and fish them in tandem with another nymph. I'll catch a few fish letting it swing at the end of the drift, too.

I usually think of soft hackles as nymphs with more movement.

Swinging has worked for me too, but I do better on dead drift.

 

[flipnfly]

you dead drift them and at the end of your drift you let your line belly and swin across the current until it is right down from you swinging makes it look like the wet flies are rushing to the top to hatch and fly away be prepared for some aggressive hits

 

[bam]

Check out the "Wet Fly Ways" DVD by Davy Wotton. It's available on Netflix if you're a subscriber...

 

[stevehalupka]

all the aforementioned advice is sound, and I must say, sort of textbook.

I'm with Jay to an extent.. fishing them in tandem is great, especially during a hatch where fish are feeding on emergers and you don't have the rightful emerger pattern.

I've tried the swinging thing... in fact, fish all of my streamer patterns w. this style, however, have found I have a lot more luck employing very short and fast strips to wets and even sunken dries during the swing. It keeps you busier, something I think standard nymphing tactics lack. If it's not a dry, it's a dropper on my line, or I'm stripping wets on the swing.

 

[Pontus]

I tried it today and got no love, but thanks for the help. I'll keep trying.

 

[volcanomil]

An unweighted peacock soft hackle after a bead head PT is one of my favorite st-ups when covering some new water or when nothing seems to be going on...

 

[jrcll]

there`s really no wrong way to fish a wet fly, as long as they are in the current you have a chance to catch fish , like jay said you can fish them sorta like a nymph, i `ve even treated them with frogs fanny , sorta like an emerger floating at the top

 

[buzzonthefly]

Hey, I fish all kinds of soft hackles,there is no wrong way to fish them. I'll even fish them on top or just under a bit.I'll try to match whats hatching, I keep about 50 to 60 in my boxs.

 

[jayL]

jrcll wrote:
there`s really no wrong way to fish a wet fly, as long as they are in the current you have a chance to catch fish , like jay said you can fish them sorta like a nymph, i `ve even treated them with frogs fanny , sorta like an emerger floating at the top

A hare's ear soft hackle with frog's fanny during a caddis hatch... skitter it over risers, and WHAM!

 

[Bruno]

The Leisenring Lift

 

[MattBoyer]

Bruno wrote:
The Leisenring Lift

What the little Irish kid says! :-D

Boyer

 

[fritz]

Agree with what everyone says--all works. Ya gotta love em.