Dave - what do you typically use for the body? Floss or a certain type of dubbing?Size 12, 14 and 16 is what you need. Olive, orange and yellow. I sometimes tie on a single strand of crystal flash under the partridge hackle. You can see it in the pic. I tried an experiment fishing three flies on the River Guar on the rannoch moor several years ago and the fish seemed to prefer the soft hackle with the flash.
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About 15 years ago that book changed my whole fishing world (and Western Hatches). I was fishing dries or the latest and the greatest in magazines before I found them. There is just something about a soft hackle wet fly. When it's warm that partridge and orange is great, but year round I like a soft hackle hares ear. I have some unweighted with brown partridge or wood duck tails, yellow thread and rib (march browns) for when mayflies are about. The fly I currently fish most has evolved since I found that book. ScottP has me layering hackles now. Here partridge and grouse, but marked hen is good too.
Great article! I miss flyanglers online."Wet Flies - Rediscovered - Fly Angler's OnLine Volumn 10 week 3
The Premiere OnLine Magazine's Section for Fly Fishing Memorabilia.www.flyanglersonline.com
I bought some black cobbler's wax and was waxing primrose yellow with it for Greenwells Glory wet flies. Made a nice translucent green/dun. Kind of a PITA to do, but it's fun trying out traditional methods on these traditional flies.While we're on the topic of soft hackles, I came across this Pearsall's Silk Color Chart (wet & dry)....the unique thing about this chart is it shows the colors wrapped on hooks both dry silk and wet, the color change when wet is really significant
Thanks for the tip.@Cliff,
If you dont know this, you can still look up all those great patterns and info for FlyAnglers Online. At least I could last Fall.
Terrible shame when there stopped being an active Fly Anglers Online.
I still go back for a lot of their Bass Patterns.
Nothing much more fun than a grab on a swung fly.
Happy Sunday.
Bob
Does it take into consideration the color of the tying thread underneath?While we're on the topic of soft hackles, I came across this Pearsall's Silk Color Chart (wet & dry)....the unique thing about this chart is it shows the colors wrapped on hooks both dry silk and wet, the color change when wet is really significant