Cabelas Soft Hackle

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DUBBN
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Cabelas Soft Hackle

Post by DUBBN » Mon Sep 07, 2020 5:54 pm

Yesterday, I was floating the Roaring Fork River here in Western Colorado. My journals from years past suggested Tricos. Soft Hackles in Yellow were mentioned a few times as well. Tups variations and Partridge and Yellow. The Trico info was spot on. The fish were gorged on the size 24 tiny mayfly nymphs and emergers.

I hooked a lot of fish. I landed very few. Perhaps it is because they were in some rather swift riffles and the second they hit my flies they had a strong current working for them. Or, it could be I am out of practice and was slow on the hook set.

Most fish took the little Trico, but I lost fish on the size 16 yellow soft hackles too.

My buddy was not having the issues I was. He hooked more fish than I did, and landed a heck of a lot more. He swung his raft over next to mine and handed me a beaded Soft Hackle. He said 3 out of 4 fish were taking it. I was in the process of re-tying flies on as I had a lost my entire set up from the first fly down to the third due to a snag . I put the size 18 beaded PT bodied fly on top as an attractor. The yellow soft hackle next and the trico last. Just like my buddy 3 out of 4 fish took the beaded attractor. My landing rate didnt improve, but my rate of hook ups did.

At lunch he handed me 4 more of the pattern. I asked him what the collar was. He told me he did not know. He said 4 or 5 years ago he purchased them at Cabelas or Sportsmans Warehouse. He said they were being discontinued. He said the price was .99 cents per dozen. Not per fly, but dozen. He bought all they had of those (4 dozen), and a few dozen Red, Two Bit Hookers. A double beaded mayfly nymph by Charlie Craven.

This morning I woke up, made coffee, washed my raft, cleaned my truck. Then I sat down to try to figure out this little pattern.
It is a size 16 on a curved hook. The tail looks like rooster. I like that, as rooster is so much more durable than pheasant. The body (abdomen and thorax) is pheasant tail wrapped in copper wire. The body is surprisingly fat compared to a true PT nymph. The bead is Silver. I do not know if it is tungsten or brass.

Now I am looking at the collar. I can not decide what it is. At first I am thinking Partridge Filoplume, but I swear I can see feather barbules mixed in. I was stumped. I stared at the fly for about five minutes. Sipping coffee with a bewildered, stupid look on my face.

Then it dawned on me. It is the fluff from the bottom of the feather I tear off when I am preparing my hen hackles to tie in. I tie in by the stem, not the tip. The wonderful fluff and a few hen barbules were right there in front of me on the darkest Dun hen cape I own. Every large feather had enough to tie two flies!

I tied a dozen size 16's today. I will try them on the Gunnison this week.

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hankaye
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Re: Cabelas Soft Hackle

Post by hankaye » Mon Sep 07, 2020 6:09 pm

DUBBN, Howdy;

Nothing like the 2ed cuppa coffee in the mornin' for bustin' a code. 8-)
Best of Luck with the "New Pattern".

hank
Striving for a less complicated life since 1949...
"Every day I beat my own previous record for number
of consecutive days I've stayed alive." George Carlin
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Roadkill
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Re: Cabelas Soft Hackle

Post by Roadkill » Mon Sep 07, 2020 10:04 pm

Love it!!! 8-)
Gotta tie some!! ;)
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letumgo
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Re: Cabelas Soft Hackle

Post by letumgo » Tue Sep 08, 2020 6:43 am

My initial guess for the hackle was CDC fibers.

Lovely pattern. Thank you for sharing the fishing experience and the pattern. Nice to have options.
Ray (letumgo)----<°))))))><
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DUBBN
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Re: Cabelas Soft Hackle

Post by DUBBN » Tue Sep 08, 2020 8:21 am

letumgo wrote: Tue Sep 08, 2020 6:43 am My initial guess for the hackle was CDC fibers.

Lovely pattern. Thank you for sharing the fishing experience and the pattern. Nice to have options.
I thought CDC for an instant as well. The hen barbules suggested different. Truth be told, CDC would be easier to work with. I do not use CDC, so it is not an option for me.

Temperatures here have plummeted from yesterday, and the weeks before it. The air temperature on the river, Sunday was low 90's. Today and most of the week the high will be on the high 40's . My buddy has an idea this pattern was imitating the emerging Redquil mayflies. I tend to see this species when temperatures are quite warm. We will see if the cold temps have an effect.

I was puttering around with the pattern using Rusty Brown thread (Veevus) instead of pheasant tail. I made it a size larger. I may give it a go as well if there is a hint of October Caddis. I have not seen any as of Sunday.

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Last edited by DUBBN on Tue Sep 08, 2020 8:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
DUBBN
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Re: Cabelas Soft Hackle

Post by DUBBN » Tue Sep 08, 2020 8:22 am

Roadkill wrote: Mon Sep 07, 2020 10:04 pm Love it!!! 8-)
Gotta tie some!! ;)
Thank you sir!!!!🍻
DUBBN
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Re: Cabelas Soft Hackle

Post by DUBBN » Tue Sep 08, 2020 4:37 pm

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letumgo
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Re: Cabelas Soft Hackle

Post by letumgo » Tue Sep 08, 2020 9:26 pm

LOL! You crack me up Wayne.

2020...what a year...and the ride ain’t over yet...

Great movie reference, btw.
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hankaye
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Re: Cabelas Soft Hackle

Post by hankaye » Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:32 am

Howdy All;

Know the feelin' ... 98* yesterday afternoon, woke up this morning LOW 40's :shock:
plus rain :shock: :shock: !!!

Can we go back to 2019 and try this again???

hank
Striving for a less complicated life since 1949...
"Every day I beat my own previous record for number
of consecutive days I've stayed alive." George Carlin
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