"I understand that to fit the profile of the modern fly fisherman I should be less the long-suffering sportsman-philosopher and more the conspicuous fanatic carpet bombing the river with the latest fly patterns, tackle and techniques: fishing from the same impulse that makes professional baseball players take steroids" - John Gierach
A Size 8 Soft Hackle Eats a Size 16 Soft Hackle
It all started 15 or so years ago when I spent a day working the Indian Hollow section of the EB (a week after the TU event on that section) without any real strategy but with a few ideas and one of those was how big can a soft hackle be and still be effective.
I worked up a few in a size 8 and decided to drop them off of a big, gnarly tarantula for shits and giggles. What happened changed the way I fish this river or any river with endless pockets and riffles. I had a good day with about 75% of the hits being on the SH and that ratio has remained the same since then. The tarantula is now mostly replaced with stimulators or outsized bombers, as long as the float well. I even dropped a big SH off of a balsa popping bug and still caught trout.
A size 8 SH will imitate a large stonefly nymph or one of the big, burrowing nymphs such as a Hexagenia. This rig is always best fished in pockets and riffles. I've had very little luck in pools and slow water.
Hook - standard dry fly hook (I don't use standard wet fly hooks any longer. There's no need!)
Body - On these large hooks I like kevlar the best with floss coming in second. Kevlar has this neat waxy look about it when wrapped on the hook Orange, Yellow and Olive will do it. No beads please!
Hackles - Here's your chance to use all of those oversized partridge hackles that are left on the skin. NOTE: buy the full skin (or cape) instead of those gimpy little bags of feathers.
The EB is my favorite dry fly river so I will time my invasions for early evening or very early morning but if I find myself with time on my hands at mid day in May through June I'll toss a soft hackle/stimulator combo and have at it until the shadows fall and the trout begin to rise.
Le Show
As in Marlborough that is! It's been three years since I've been there so I'll show up this Friday. I don't give a damn about new rods (very little is new except deals on bamboo), or waders or packs or
vests. What I keep an eye out for are classic books, odd but valuable tying materials and tools and such. Three years ago I bought the neatest tiny, click and pawl reel that houses my 2 wt line. It was a steal. Ten years ago I discovered FLYSHACK and their Saber line of hooks. I'll probably run into Don Barnes of REGAL ENGINEERING which is always nice.
I'm starting to book for early Spring. As always happens by April 1st I'll be slammed with requests. It's always first come, first served.
Fly orders are good too. Keep them coming!!
Ken
3 comments:
Ken,
You mentioned Regal Engineering and I'm happy to say that I've probably purchased my last tying vise. It's a Regal that I purchased from Charlie at the Evening Sun Fly Shop several weeks ago.
I bought my first vise for $6.00 in the mid-60s with money earned from my paper route and mowing lawns, shoveling snow etc. I tied countless flies on this vise. When I started fishing the saltwater with my fly rod twenty years ago I purchased a Renzetti. This was not a bad vise but compared to my new Regal...well it just doesn't compare. A Regal vise hold hooks like nothing I've seen. It's simple and effective. You have mentioned Regal before on this blog and this was one reason I chose that vise as my last vise. Thank you.
Perk
Perk,
I've owned Regals for over 30 years. The original designer and owner was Jerry Doiran who was a genius. Imagine a vise that is closed in its resting position, totally opposite from all other vises.
I've had $6.00 vises too!!
Ken
I too am a Regal vise enthusiast! I bought a barely-used Regal C-clamp at the Marlborough show more than twenty years ago; this vise has produced several thousand flies since and remains in perfect condition. Utterly bulletproof construction, made in Massachusetts by a firm known for outstanding customer service - what's not to like?
Post a Comment