Soft-hackle fishing can be absolutely deadly, particularly for trout that are feeding higher in the water column, but not quite on top. These are the fish that are after emerging bugs, and soft-hackle flies very often draw strikes from these dialed-in fish.
I’ve had a lot of success with soft-hackles on waters like the Firehole in Yellowstone National Park—that river’s brown trout often target emerging bugs. But, until I saw the video above, I’d always been a soft-hackle “swinger.” But Simon Gawesworth from RIO has expanded my angling horizons (I almost always learn something from Simon—he’s a very talented teacher, even in just a few minutes of edited video).
Using some new (at least to me) techniques, Gawesworth demonstrates how to drift soft-hackle flies by working trout. Notice the “slinky” indicator and the use of the tippet ring—both great tools that not only help you detect that soft-hackle strike, but that allow you to fish a couple of flies in different sizes and colors.
It’s good stuff. Check it out.
— Chris Hunt