A Favorite Fly?

 

When asked if I have a favorite fly, I usually reply that it depends upon what I’m fishing for. That’s probably not true since I find that I’m usually fishing for trout and I tie one fly or should I say type of fly more than any other.

When I first discovered the joys of fly fishing, back in the 90”s, I predominately used wooley buggers and prince nymphs. Then I moved down here, found River Runners on the internet and started fishing midges under an indicator.  I also started going to Bass Pro Shop on Tuesdays where Steve Fritz teaching fly tying.  It seemed like every week River Runners was telling what the new hot midge was and I had to tie them and fish them.  I usually did okay

 But I never really did enjoy watching an indicator.  There is nothing wrong with that type of fishing, I just never mastered it.

 

Then one night at Fritz’s class we tied soft hackles and Steve described how he liked to fish this particular fly.  The next time I went to Taneycomo, I tried soft hackles and I’ve been hooked since then. I tie mine light so they swing just under the surface of the water in the film.  Its fun to watch the fish rise to take one, almost as much fun as fishing a dry, but with a soft hackle the fish often hooks itself.  That eliminates the hesitation needed when you see a trout rising to the dry.
 

Do I match the hatch? No.  Try to duplicate the size? No. I almost always use a #15 or 16 hook, depending upon the hook I’m using. I do like black, barbless (or pinched down barb) dry fly hook.  Color? I’ve tried several different colors and body materials.  I don’t believe I ever tied a soft hackle that didn’t catch fish ( but every time).  I seldom try a new fly that doesn’t work; probably because the fly doesn’t look like anything the trout has seen recently.

The last couple of years, I’ve used two patterns with good results.  One is the classic “purple  and starling”; the other has a caddis green body and a dark hackle.  Before the sun hits the water or on overcast days I seem to have better luck on the purple and on bright days the caddis green.  Often I’ll fish two flies, one of each color.  Recently I’ve replaced the second soft hackle with what I believe is called a g-bug.  When I fish the two fly combinations I catch fish on both flies but so far I’ve never caught a fish on each at the same time.

So I guess that I don't have a favorite fly, but rather a favorite style of fly...a soft hackle, almost any soft hackle.

Tom T. Hall has a song, "I Like Beer" in which announces he doesn't just like beer, but he loves it.  That's kind of the way I feel about fishing soft hackles.