Soft Hackles
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What type of feathers do you prefer for tying soft hackles?
If you go to a fly fishing competition and ask the top competitors what they used, you’ll find that a wide range of patterns was successful. What this fact suggests is that, on most days, presentation trumps pattern.
I suggest that you tie one standard pattern in a number of sizes and then focus on presentation.
As to the pattern: try a Walt’s Worm (which is simply dubbing on a hook, with our without a bead).
Alex
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Alex as I agree with your statement I don’t think his question was about what are better patterns. That question is on another post.
As far as the OP question about soft hackle feathers, I personally bought a full Hungarian partridge skin. Cost around $4–50 but if I take good care of it, it should provide me with thousands of flies. One skin also gives you plenty of color and size choices of feathers for a variety of applications.You can also by partridge feathers in smaller quantities from hairline and other companies.
Why do I choose partridge? Because that’s what Dave Whitlock would do…
http://davewhitlock.com//www/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/RFSHN-story-and-tying.pdf
Thanks, Cassio. I must have replied to the wrong post.
About soft hackle feathers, I love using hen necks. A few of these provide tons of feather in a kinds of sizes.
Alex
I primarily use Starling–but also use partridge or hen neck. If I’m using Starling and I want a lighter color (sort of a medium to dark gray) for the hackle, I use the lighter color barbs closer to the the base.
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