FLYMPH FORUM

Hello,
With all of the patterns available to tie, I thought about getting a few of the members most productive soft hackle flies. I found one on a video which was the soft hackle PT, tied a couple up and caught my first trout using that fly. Since then I have added additional copies to my fly box. The chap who tied it said it was his most productive fly, bar none, as he used it all over the US and it works here in Nova Scotia as well.
I thought if I could get some other suggestions from the members here it would give me a manageable list of excellent flies. Any help given in this regard will be most appreciated. Thank you.

I think the Partridge & Orange and Stewart's Black Spider, although I don't keep records of such things. Both are older patterns that work very well.

Thank you chase creek, I have the partridge and orange already but not the Stewart's black spider. I just called my local fly shop and they don't have starling nor many soft hackle feathers period. Most fly fisherman up my way either use drys, wets, streamers or the like.

Tim, My go to fly when prospecting or casting to rising fish is a Stewart's Black Spider, size 14, tied on a Daiichi 1640. Number two is a Partridge and Orange sizes 10 to 14, number three is a peacock herl body with black hen hackle in sizes 12 to 16. For the peacock body, wrap the herl around the tying thread at the rear of the hook to make a chennille, then wrap the thread/herl combo forward. A couple turns of black hen and your in business. (Probably 90% of my spiders are tied on Daiichi 1640 hooks.)

I have two double sided fly boxes filled with lots of patterns in various sizes, but when I really need to catch a fish, I tie on one of those three.

Thank you, Ron, I appreciate your input. It looks like I'll need to order some starling from the US. I wished my local fly shop had a selection of soft hackle material but such is life.

This has become my most productive fly. Size 12 to 18.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8108

Thank you, Mike, that is an interesting fly.

For me, the most effective soft hackles year round are the Partridge and Orange (usually a size 14) and the Pheasant Tail with mallard covert hackle (usually a size 18).

Those are the generic ones, when nothing special is hatching. There are times when you need to get more specific, and for any given time of the year, there are flies that are probably more effective than those two, but those other flies may be effective only at those times of the year. (Example: at this time of the year, a wet ant is always part of my team; it won't be in April or October.)

Pheasant-tail soft hackles with a woodcock covert feather wing have worked almost everywhere here in cheese country. Sizes 16 & 18.

Now that it is terrestrial time, I'll toss a wet black ant, too.

Haven't had the opportunity to use Boarmountain's fly, but I will soon.

All the above.
Now I have a trouble working with starling and partridge/grouse, so heavy handed that it takes about six feathers to get one fly; but I can tie just about any wet I want with a grizzly hen. I like dun hen too.
I reckon that if the fly can be suggestive of a food item and not an exact imitation, then my materials can be suggestive of those used by the dead guys. I also use thread instead of gut. The flies I tie are never truly of any recognized pattern but the trout have never seen flies tied by a master and so accept mine as good enough. ymmv