XMAS Soft Hackle Fly

Materials:
Hook: Size 14 Nymph/Wet Hook
Thread: Red 8/0 Uni Thread
Wire: Copper BR Ultra Wire
Body: Peacock Herl
Tail: Patridge Hackle
Hackle: Patridge Hackle

Soft hackled flies are the perfect fish-hunting tool for the winter season. Here in northwest New Jersey we are not seeing anymore top water action though dead drifted buggers, egg patterns and wet flies are still killing it. I have been stopping down at the fly tying course held on Sundays at Shannon’s Fly and Tackle in Califon, NJ (Call ahead to confirm availability). This was the pattern we learned last week. To tie this fly you need to select two pieces of hackle, one for the tail and one for the soft hackle section of the fly. The feather selection for the soft hackle portion of the fly should be small, full and symmetrical while the tail fly will be plucked for roughly six to eight shoots.

1. Attach the red thread one-hook eye’s distance on the shank behind the eye. Uniformly wrap thread down the shank until parallel with the barb. Be careful not to catch the barb with the thread or you may have to start over. Snip off any surplus loose thread.

2. Next we will tie in the tail; in order to complete this step you should cut out 6-8 strong fibers off the midsection of a Partridge hackle feather. Arrange the fibers between your left thumb and forefinger in a manner allowing them to splay out. Tie them in at the bend of the hook above the barb so that the length of the tail is equal to the hook gap. Loosely wrap the fibers with the red thread up to the initial tie in point with the bobbin.

3. Now cut six inches of the copper wire, secure the section in at the tie in point and wrap back the thread to the commencement of the tail section. Leave the loose end of the wire hanging off and out of your way. This will be wrapped over the peacock herl later. Move the bobbin and thread back to the tie in point with several loose wraps forward.

4. Select four strands of Peacock herl of roughly even size. Lay them out matching the butt ends and trim off the very tip of the butt end. Tie the cut end in at the tie in point and loosely wrap back with the bobbin and thread.

5. Wind the four pieces of peacock herl together and wrap tightly towards the tie in point of the hook. Hold the herl down tight whilst you loosely wrap the bobbin and thread forward. When the bobbin and thread reach the tie in point, wrap over the herl and cinch it in.

6. Now take the copper wire and wrap in over the Peacock herl in the opposite direction that the herl is wrapped along the shank. You will put no more than five turns in the copper wire along the shank. Cinch the wire down at the tie in point. Use the Helicopter technique to remove excess wire.

7. Continuing on we have to select a piece of Partridge hackle with fibers that are uniformly distributed along the stem. Prep the hackle by sheering off the down feather at the base. Then slick the fibers back against the grain while separating off a section at the tip. Clean the tip of the stem off with the scissors. Tie in the hackle at the tie in point making sure the feather curls upward. Cinch in right where you set the fibers against the grain and the trimmed tip of the stem.

8. Using the hackle fliers begin to gently turn the hackle around the shank at the tie in point, until there is hackle evenly distributed around the shank.

9. Pinch the hackle back towards the bend in the hook with your left hand. Using your free hand create a mound of thread near the eye of the hook which holds the hackle feather in place. Once secure remove the excess hackle stem, which is attached to the pliers.