what size soft hackles do you tie/use

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zen leecher
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what size soft hackles do you tie/use

Post by zen leecher » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:47 pm

I made it out river fishing the last three days. My plans were to fish the soft hackles in my box. Normally my fishing is confined to lakes and it isn't an issue to consider what generation insects need matching as lakes usually have good sized bugs. What I experienced was it appeared I needed #16 and #18 soft hackles. Do you guys normally carry smaller sizes like these for later generation hatches? What would you recommend?

Last night just to see what I had partridge hackle for I did a test tie on a #18 partridge and green. I normally use a pedestal magnifying glass for tying and think I might have to tote it along to find the hook eye when fishing.

Looks like a new box of teeny little soft hackles is in order.

Bill
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Ron Eagle Elk
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Re: what size soft hackles do you tie/use

Post by Ron Eagle Elk » Thu Aug 21, 2014 4:15 pm

Bill, I prefer (and so do the fish) my wee wets tied on size 16 to 10, with size 14 being the most effective on my local and not so local waters. Your experience may vary.
"A man may smile and bid you hale yet curse you to the devil, but when a good dog wags his tail he is always on the level"
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Re: what size soft hackles do you tie/use

Post by Old Hat » Thu Aug 21, 2014 7:12 pm

95% of mine are in the #12-18 range. 80% of those are either #14 or #16. I haven't really kept track of numbers :D but you get the idea.
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redietz
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Re: what size soft hackles do you tie/use

Post by redietz » Thu Aug 21, 2014 7:46 pm

Most of my wets are either size 14 or size 18 (I figure one or the other will cover size 16). I'll go as small as 22 if need be, but it isn't frequent.
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Re: what size soft hackles do you tie/use

Post by Mataura mayfly » Thu Aug 21, 2014 9:23 pm

Size do I tie? Well that depends. I have tied soft hackles on #24 right up to #2/0...... but the vast majority I tie are for fishing to trout, so #14-18 would be by far the most often tied sizes.
Which leads up to what sizes I fish. Well that is a real can of worms question! Unless you standardise the hooks. Gone are the days of very little choice and now there are hooks of mind boggling assortments, shapes and shank lengths. Is a 2XL wide gape 14 really a standard #10?
Seriously though, most often fished in soft hackles and nymphs for me would be 1XL #14 through to a standard length #18. General rule of thumb is standard #14 and 16 rule the roost around here.
There will be times when to "match the hatch" I will be fishing a standard #18 pattern, but 14-16 is more usual and matches pretty closely the sizes of the naturals in the water. Does not always match the colour nor the species, but approximates size.
"Listen to the sound of the river and you will get a trout".... Irish proverb.
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Smuggler
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Re: what size soft hackles do you tie/use

Post by Smuggler » Fri Aug 22, 2014 8:22 am

Most of my flymph's and softies are sz 16. I'd say 90%. Others are sz 14 or 18.

Nymphs, dries...ugh.. dries :? That's another story.
DUBBN

Re: what size soft hackles do you tie/use

Post by DUBBN » Fri Aug 22, 2014 9:27 am

There was a time in my life that Flymphs were not unlike the women I dated. Two kinds. Big o'l good uns, and good o'l bigguns. Now, I have settled on the perfect sized woman (my wife), but use Flymphs in a size range from 22 to 8.
zen leecher
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Re: what size soft hackles do you tie/use

Post by zen leecher » Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:56 am

Thanks for the info, guys. Looks like I've always approached soft hackles from a lake view point. I see some smaller softhackles in my future. This should help work the issue of which generation insect that the fish are keying on.

One assumption I had when I asked the original question was that a standard length hook was considered for hook size.
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Ron Eagle Elk
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Re: what size soft hackles do you tie/use

Post by Ron Eagle Elk » Fri Aug 22, 2014 11:15 am

Bill, a lot of my spiders are tied on Daiichi 1640 hooks that are 2X Short.
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Re: what size soft hackles do you tie/use

Post by Mataura mayfly » Fri Aug 22, 2014 3:42 pm

Bill, if having trouble with threading small flies on to tippet, there is no reason (just like Ron says above) you cannot tie a size 18 fly on a size 16 or 14 hook. Either find a hook you like with a large eye and tie smaller bodied flies on a standard length shank (Clyde style), use 2X short hooks, or use standard size 18's and put half a dozen flies on a threader at home under the magnifier, slip them in a box and go fishing. On the water, put your tippet through the threader loop and slip on your fly- tie your knot and you are good to go.
"Listen to the sound of the river and you will get a trout".... Irish proverb.
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