Soft Hackle Wet Flies

Soft Hackle Wet Flies

These incredibly versatile patterns will catch many species of game fish under a wide range of conditions. Literature has made the soft hackle style of fly most popular for trout in streams. Here they are usually fished dead drift or on the swing as a wet fly. Often the best best depth is very shallow. Presented in this manner these patterns represent insects which are struggling just below the surface. The soft, wet, flowing hackle simulates the activity of thrashing legs and beating wings.

Soft hackle flies are also very productive in lakes and ponds for most species of trout, char, bass and panfish. These patterns are often fished in the surface film as an emerging insect. This can be a very productive method during mayfly and caddis hatches. Cast the fly with a floating lines ahead of cruising trout. Barely twitch the fly as the fish approaches. Soft Hackles can also be fished deeper around submerged weeds or even along more barren rocky bottoms. When retrieved through still water, the the long supple hackles mimic swimming legs. Several species of dragonfly nymphs swim with their legs extended. The Carey Special series flies were first used in Canadian lakes to mimic dragon fly nymphs and emerging sedges.
Soft Hackles are some of the world's oldest and simplest fly patterns. Some patterns have remained productive for hundreds of years.
In 1496 Dame Juliana Berners published "The Treatise of Fishing with an Angle". It was the first definitive work on sports angling written in the English language. In it were the first twelve fly patterns. They were all soft hackle type wet flies. Sylvester Nemes in his great book The Soft Hackle Fly Addict brought these simple flies to the attention of modern anglers. Soft Hackles are as popular and productive as when first written five hundred years ago.
All of the flies listed below are dressed on standard wet fly hooks but are other wise unweighted.

Soft Hackle, Gray This fly is one of the best all around searching patterns for many streams and lakes. The neutral shades of gray and tan simulate many species of mayflies and caddis. It is particularly effective on lakes during Callibaetis Mayfly hatches. It is also well proven on large freestone rivers like the Mackenzie. Here is is deadly on cutthroats. It can be the best searching pattern for cutthroats in all mountain streams.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
12350-16	Soft Hackle, Gray	16	3 for $5.25

Soft Hackle, Partridge & Green The Partridge & Green can be used as a deep sunk juvinile dragonfly or damselfly. Fish it with a sinking line and short sharp twitches. It is equally effective during green body caddis hatches or olive body mayfly hatches in rivers. During these periods, fish the fly in the surface film with a floating line.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
12355-14	Soft Hackle, Partridge & Green	14	3 for $5.25
12355-16	Soft Hackle, Partridge & Green	16	3 for $5.25
12355-18	Soft Hackle, Partridge & Green	18	3 for $5.25

Soft Hackle, Partridge & Yellow A similar fly appears in English literature as early as 1496. It may already have been used for centuries, but not recorded.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
12365-12	Soft Hackle, Partridge & Yellow	12	3 for $5.25
12365-14	Soft Hackle, Partridge & Yellow	14	3 for $5.25

Soft Hackle, Hares Ear Emerger This simple fly incorporates some Antron fibers over the top to trap air bubbles. It is a very productive fly through out the season.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
99313-14	Soft Hackle, Hares Ear Emerger	14	3 for $5.25
99313-16	Soft Hackle, Hares Ear Emerger	16	3 for $5.25

Soft Hackle, Pheasant Tail This fly imitates many different species of emerging mayflies and is equally effective in lakes and streams.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
12368-14	Soft Hackle, Pheasant Tail	14	3 for $5.25
12368-16	Soft Hackle, Pheasant Tail	16	3 for $5.25
12368-18	Soft Hackle, Pheasant Tail	18	3 for $5.25

Soft Hackle, Starling & Herl This can be a very productive fly, especially when small dark insects such and micro caddis, ants or beetles are on the water.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
12370-18	Soft Hackle, Starling & Herl	18	3 for $5.25

Carey Special, Black This pattern is productive in many lakes that have populations of large, dark dragonfly nymphs. The fly is retrieved slowly along the bottom. Trout and bass often find it irresistible. This is also a very effective steelhead fly for the John Day and other inland rivers.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9080-06	Carey Special, Black	6	3 for $5.25

Carey Special, Olive First tied to simulate an olive sedge pupa for use in British Columbia lakes it is also a very effective dragonfly nymph pattern.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9095-06	Carey Special, Olive	6	3 for $5.25

Carey Special, Peacock This dull colored pattern is a good searching fly for lakes and ponds that have soft debris covered bottoms. Often a very slow retrieve is the best presentation.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9100-06	Carey Special, Peacock	6	3 for $5.25

Carey Special, Pheasant Tail Tied and fished primarily in British Columbian Kamloops lakes as a sedge pupa pattern.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9101-06	Carey Special, Pheasant Tail	6	3 for $5.25
9101-08	Carey Special, Pheasant Tail	8	3 for $5.25

Lake Bait
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
99314-08	Lake Bait	8	3 for $5.25
99314-10	Lake Bait	10	3 for $5.25

Soft Hackle Fly Set
Contains: Partridge & Green 2/#14, 2/#16, 2/#18
                 Partridge & Yellow 2/#12, 2/#14
                 Pheasant Tail 2/#14, 2/#16, 2/#18
                 Starling & Herl 2/#18

Item	Description	Price	To Top
SOFTHA	(18) Soft Hackle Flies, includes shipping	$30.95

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Soft Hackle Fly Set	Hares Ear Emerger	Carey Special, Olive
Soft Hackle, Gray	Pheasant Tail	Carey Special, Peacock
Partridge & Green	Starling & Herl	Carey Special, Pheasant
Partridge & Yellow	Carey Special, Black	Lake Bait