that was my introduction to fly-fishing traditional team of 3 wet flies, back in the 60's in Scotland. Still works today.

Greenwell Glory, Zulu, Invicta Peter Ross,Blae and Black,Connemara black,Dunkeld,Bloody Butcher,and many more.

MM

The traditional English method of fishing soft hackles and wet flies is to fish a "brace" of flies (often two or three or sometimes more), swung in the current. It's an amazingly effective method that gets used far too little here in the U.S. It works best in a riffle or where there's a decent amount of current (not too fast or too slow).

I agree with Texan_fisherman about dropping a soft hackle behind a woolly bugger. Another similar fly that works well that way is a Crackleback, with or without a beadhead.

Swinging soft hackles has become my "go to" approach for a number of reasons. But I've learned to really beef up the tippet (3X) because the take is so hard. The article that was linked described the fly floating downstream in the current, but the odd thing is most of the takes happen on the swing when the fly is almost stopped relative to the current. There must be a small window of recognition for the hunkered trout that prevents much study because there is nothing natural about the presentation except the lift toward the surface.

get it while the gittin is good...

Great discussion and article. I have partridge/orange and partridge/yellow in my box, but I never use them. I tied them because I love how they look. I even told my buddy last week that "these should kill it". But I never tied one on. Not sure why except that I have such confidence in the BH pheasant tail. As I was reading the article and about the movement of the soft hackle, I thought that adding some to the PT should work wonders. Lo and behold, the writer mentioned it later in the article. I guess I know what to stock up on.

As another poster mentioned earlier, it was either yellow or nothing. So it hit me that trying different colors of a fly is something I've never done as droppers. Next time I go, I'll try a PT soft hackle dropped from a P&Y dropped from a P&O.

BTW, I've never seen that strymph pattern before. I'd bet sand bass would fight each other over that if it was tied with brighter colors.

I know why I don't. Hollerin' scares the fish. Especially hollerin' wirty-dords.

Kirk

I know, right? That is why I have worked so hard on my lazy loop a.k.a Belgian cast.

I agree fully with using 3X fluorocarbon tippet when swinging soft hackles. The take is so aggressive, the fish will break 5X or 6X tippet. The rising fly mimicks a caddis or a hexagena that is about to break free from its shuck. There is a very small window of time for the fish to react, and it's usually a very quick take. Numerous times, a fish will 'short strike', realize it has missed the bug, and hit again. With the current, if you fail to hook up, the fish will then go back to its holding spot & be ready to attack your next presentation.

As mickfly stated, many traditionalists will use a 'brace' or 'cast' of flies. Rigging them up can be tricky, but I have found that by tying a surgeon's knot or a blood knot & leaving one of the tag ends loose (with about 6" or 8" of tag) you can fish 2 or 3 flies successfully. You have to 'open' your cast so as not to tangle the flies. Casting a tight loop will result in frustration as the flies will catch one another as they pass in the air.

JABman08 hit it on the head, too. Adding some soft hackles to a pheasant tail or a hares' ear will result in big smiles!

Once this happens, refer to TurfDawg's post about Handling Trout!

JR

So for our Little Red trip the soft hackle most cited is the Red [censored]. I'm tying some up, and I use Mustad 37160 "sedge" hooks. I like to tie in a midge trailer into the bend.

Great response all from this post. I am pleased that I might have opened a few new doors of fly choice for some of you readers
I was also brought up in England using soft hackles and of course traditional wets
Caught my very first trout aged 13 on a soft hackle.
I will post some more patterns maybe next week from my fly box.

Mike

I am really enjoying reading this thread and learning new ways to try.

Question, I have watched several videos with people fishing different things behind Wooly Buggers and it seems like most tie the trailer to the bend of the hook. Is that what most of you suggest? I did like the ideal of leaving a long tag on the clinch knot and putting the split shot there if you need one.

I've always read that tying the dropper to the hook may interfere with the fish taking the fly. For a while, I tried tying the dropper through the eye of the lead fly hook, but that is pretty hard to do with small hooks. So I started just tying a regular fishing knot (I don't know the technical name) onto the tippet above the lead fly. Then I slide the dropper line down to the lead fly. Then if you want to change the lead fly, you can just slide the dropper line up to allow for a new knot. Works for me.

I tie to the bend of the hook because it keeps the flies in line astern, not off at an angle from in front. They tend to tangle less that way.
I haven't really noticed a difference in hook-up rate, but I don't fish teams very often.
My real issue with fishing more than 1 fly is that IU injure fish setting the hook if they try to take the top fly. The bottom fly will foul hook the fish and/or rip a big cut in it's flank. I don't have a particular soft spot for fish, but I don't want to cause unnecessary damage, either.

Kirk

The old way for droppers was to leave 3"-4" tag from blood knot, a double surgeons will work also. Typically the end fly would be an attractor (bloody butcher)the middle dropper a deceiver (greenwells/blae & black)and the top dropper an emerger (invicta or other bushy style fly)which could be almost dappled at the end of the cast/retrieve.

Then "Dapping" itself another art using the long rod. back then there were no fast action rods, open loops came naturally.

MM

Couldn't have said it better MM
Where in the UK are you from , just curious to meet other guys from across the pond
Mike