Friday Fly Day - Swinging Soft Hackle Flies

Let’s face it. Some days the fish just aren’t grabby and you can spend all day swinging run after gucci run to no avail. Other days however, they just aren’t buying what you are selling. Most people associate spey casting and two handed rods with streamer fishing, and when the fish are picky, simply drop down to a smaller bugger or sparse intruder pattern. Some days this simply isn’t what they want.

Yesterday’s Techy Thursday touched on swinging nymphs and soft hackles and their success was highlighted today actually during a swing session with Steve Tedesco working shallow, ‘froggy water’ on the Clutha.

We both worked the run with sink tips and streamers pretty well I thought, for just one grab. While I messed with fly patterns Steve switched out his sink tip for a long section of mono, a sliding split shot rig and a soft hackle trailed by a stonefly. This allowed him to work right into the shallows with flies that raise no suspicion and just as I began to jot this blog, bang he was in.

This is a regular happening on many waters on days when fish just want to be fish, and chase insects instead of smaller fish. We have an extensive range of soft hackles here at Manic but here’s my personal pick of the bunch. Tie it to a dropper above a stonefly or similar and you’re in for the win.

Tungsten BB Stealth PT

Wee Wet Hare’s Ear

Suped Up Spider Mylar

Wee Wet Mallard & Claret

Soft Hackle PT

Mix them up, fish when with movement or without, but fish them well. They will fill the net on days where you could easily zero.