Thanks for the learnings Simon , I was interested when you mentioned the Carey Special as being a good fly. I researched and then tied up a few.What a great fly , im guaranteed a fish everytime I fish it even though where I fish the browns are very spooky. Cheers Kevin , NZ
What a fantastic primer on soft hackle fishing! If someone knew absolutely nothing about it coming in, they would know all they need to know to catch fish after watching this. If that weren't enough, you managed to add some highly technical tactics for those of us who have been at this for a while. Soft hackles are my favorite way to fish. Thanks for such an informative lesson.
Great video and best overall information in one place! I mostly fish very small mountain streams for brook trout and I've been trying to learn ways to fish soft hackles upstream effectively as these streams are too small to swing in the traditional sense. Something about soft hackles brookies love. I will often fish a soft hackle 10-12" underneath a beadhead nymph with an indicator and have learned 2 things. As the beadhead tracks along the main current, the soft hackle will whip around and swing underneath rocks coaxing a fish tucked away to strike. Second, brookies will often position themselves underneath a clog of logs, branches and downfall at the tailout of a pool where the current narrows and accelerates. When my nymph rig drifts close (dangerously close to snagging), I'll stop the drift and allow the nymphs to swing under the clog and jig them back out (using the same wiggle technique you describe), enticing a strike. Half of the time I'll get snagged anyways but its proving to be an effective way to get at those fish.
What a cool way to fish softies! Thanks for your comments and commentary on how you fish them. Great that you enjoyed this episode too - thanks for commenting :)
Hello from the Scotsman in Osaka Japan. Brilliant videos .could you do a video on how to connect braided loop connectos to the flyline. much respect to you mate
Thanks for the comment - glad you enjoy the videos. Simon did make one for RIO - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZJRb4f1OMaw.html&ab_channel=RIOProducts
Loved the video Simon! Specially the upstream part! I would say that an easy way to fish them upstream is on a long Tenkara! Almost euro nymph it and pulsate the fly with change in the line tension. The reverse hackle amplify the movement on change in tension
Thanks for commenting. we are really glad you enjoyed the video and will pass on your Tenkara idea/comments to Simon. He loves feedback and new ideas...
@@FarBank , Thanks , I would love to hear what he has to say. I didn’t word my comment properly, Tenkara uses soft hackles with hackle pointed forward ie towards the hook eye. Its similar to European nymphing as casts are made upstream with all the line of the water. We can utilize the concept of sighter tension to make the hackle pulsate. When the sighter is tight / leading the fly the hackle opens and when the sighter tension / sighter sad is reduced the current closes the hackle . This continuous opening and closing of the hackle is enticing to the fish and provokes strikes. Tenkara masters fish with a single soft hackle fly no matter the conditions, I guess Simon shares this love of softhackles with them.
Great upstream wet flies tutoring. I was taught this decades ago and whenever people ask what I am doing they look at me cross eyed and stop the conversation like I am insane. I call it single seam fishing. I will also cast upstream and then perform a lift after the flies go down stream in a likely spot and have the flies rose to the surface. Great flies. Soft hackles use to mean weightless spiders. After years of fishing them I have beads and cdc and E en rubber legs. Good to see your box is also non traditional.
I'm new to the sport and these videos are awesome. I will be purchasing my first fly setup in less than a month. I'm planning to buy a 5wt from Orvis. I have decided that I will be getting a battenkill iii reel. I plan to buy a second spool for streamer fishing. I'm definitely going to spool it with the Rio single spey line. Thank you again for the great information.
Incredible series of instructional videos. It has taken my fly fishing to a whole new level. I do have a question, in another video you mention attaching a 7' tapered leader to the end of the versileader while here you use straight tippet based on sink rate. What is better?
Good question. We checked with Simon who said that he prefers to use a tapered leader in most cases, but it depends on the diameter of the tippet. If using thin tippet, he prefers the tapered leader as the VersiLeader is quite thick at the front. If using heavier tippet 3X or more, he is fine with level. Hope that makes sense.
another excellent video! glad you talked about the fishing technique upstream, so effective, but a little forgotten these days! in the crystalline rivers where I have been practicing this technique for forty years, a bit like sight nymphing ,it is the fish that I see rising, or that break the surface, which is my indicator ... I find that we should stop using the term "soft hackle" to define this wet fishing, because hard hackles(and other materials) are also very effective sub water with their vibrations ,as much as soft hackles are effective for dry flies ! but that's another debate ! again congratulations for your remarkable work! best regards Ghjanto
Great comments, thanks. Glad you like the upstream part too, that's our favorite way to fish them. Good point on the "hard" hackles - as you say, that is a good debate to be part of!
Simon, awesome vid as always. I’m wondering about your accent; everything I’ve read says you’re from the West Country but I’m sure I detect a hint of Welsh in your voice?
We asked Simon, he said he was born in Kent, moved to Devon when he was 12, but lived in Scotland as well, which is why you may have picked up a slight twang
@@FarBank yeah, maybe. i was born in hampshire, moved to devon at 2, moved to wales at 10, moved to scotland at 40 where i remain. he must have an accent composed of all the accents that i know well.
Great instructional video. Two questions: 1) do you set with a standard trout set or with a streamer set and 2) do you add a slinky leader especially upstream to help detect eats> Than ks
Glad you enjoyed the video, thanks. We asked Simon the two questions. He said 1) a streamer rig is usually too heavy/powerful at the front end and doesn't present soft hackles well, so better to go with a regular trout set up. 2) He also said he does use a slinky indicator for upstream soft hackles. Hope that helps a little...
I can see where this technique works well on larger waters, but I struggle to imagine how you can use soft hackles on smaller waters (streams less then 25' wide). How would you approach smaller waters?
They definitely work on smaller rivers, but everything is shorter and scaled down. You can use weighted, bead head soft hackles to get down instead of using a VersiLeader, and run a short 7ft leader or so from the end of the line. All that helps in the limited space
They do indeed. They aren't going to be as effective as a large streamer for big fish at certain times, but if you choose the right water, you will definitely catch big trout. Good luck with it and please let us know when you do get something bigger. 😊
I'm just learning about soft hackle fishing Simon and you present this video like all your others, in an incredible manner. I don't tie my own flies and the fly shops I've called don't carry either the Carrey Special or a tan Sow bug. Any help on a good place to buy them and sizes would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much and keep the great videos coming, Kyle.
Hey Kyle, glad you liked the video and particularly that you are learning about soft hackles - we'll pass that on to Simon who will be stoked to hear that. As for the flies, you can find them here: farbank.com/collections/rio-freshwater-soft-hackles-flies-collection
You mentioned the Carey special fly. I happen to run across this fly and curiosity got the best of me earlier in the season. I had a little bit of trouble getting the pheasant rump feathers but a buddy of mine went bird hunting in so Dakota and just happened to bring me a bag full. I tied up a few and by them down to a pond that have some difficult fish. Well, they loved it. I enjoyed your presentation very much. I’m not a stranger to soft hackles but I think I’m gonna tie myself a few more to cover a few situations. Do you have a favorite for the baetis hatch? Thanks for sharing such great info. You saved a lot of time in the soft hackle dept. Good fishing.
Glad you found the feathers and tied a few, and that it worked well for you, and also glad you enjoyed the film. We asked Simon what he uses when the baetis hatch was on, and he said he had found a tan sow bug in size 16 and 18 to be extremely effective during those hatches. Hopefully you will find the same :)
I have just spent a few days tying up barbless soft hackles to use with a group of novice flyfisher women for their first day on the river. Your incredibly informative video could not have come at a better time. I will inform the three old women to first watch your presentation and we will proceed with all the knowledge required to have a successful day. Kind regards from down under in NZ.
Thanks for commenting, and glad you enjoyed the video. We'll pass on your comments to Simon directly, as he does like to know when someone enjoys his videos.
Let me add my voice to the accolades that preceded me - a really fine tutorial. I have found soft hackles to be one of the best ways to start a pupil on fly fishing, but also on fly tying. Soft hackle flies may be the ideal way to introduce a beginner to both activities, because the complexity can increase as each easier technique is mastered. I have also, not infrequently, outfished a few of my friends who consider themselves dry fly purists, and by doing so convinced them that it isn't merely a technique for beginners - because the soft hackle is one way to make your offering stand out during an especially heavy hatch.
