Fishing Drake Soft-Hackles

[William Anderson]

In another thread in the dressing section, a couple beautiful drake patterns were posted exhibiting some very specific attributes in the fly design. I know Eric is a world class tier and he's lived a life that has allowed him to experiment and hone his tying/presentation in ways I DREAM of. This question if for Eric Peper and many others with more experience than myself.

I have fished, sparingly, the Iso hatches, most effectively with parachute patterns and a couple of times using nymphs, but I've tied and would like to pursue them with a soft-hackle and a different emerging method. Green Drakes too have paid off occasionally, but again with dries/klinks or nymphs. I tie soft-hackle representations but have never been effective using them. Partly its not being in the water at optimal times and only encountering these hatches sporadically.

Who has been successful fishing drake soft-hackles or flymphs, and what were the methods and conditions. I realize this is a loaded question as all drake species hatch in different ways and in different conditions, but I'd like to hear all of it. Much appreciation in advance.

w

[Smuggler]

William, maybe we've discussed this in the past but, I've quite often caught Slate Drake emergences on Slate Run. I would have tremendous success with a soft hackle quill body fished upstream like a dry fly, picking pocket water. Took an 18" brown from that stream with that tactic.

Other that that I haven't had much success or enough experience with other drake species mayfly. Hopefully that changes this coming year.

[Mataura mayfly]

What ever happened to "toss a fly in the water- they hit- you hold on?

I cannot pretend to understand the Drake's of various types- nor the pressure on some of your waters...... but trouts are trouts the World over.

You mention the dries/emergers and nymphs you have used thus far- how are you fishing (presenting) the soft hackles in relation to the success you have had with the others?
Personally I would be tying them on dry fly hooks and fishing in the top two inches of the surface water and casting upstream. Trying to pass the fly off as a cripple/drowned adult or stuck shuck emerger- dead drift from upstream without drag. I do not think swung downstream would fool a trout actively feeding on naturals (on or just below the surface) and upstream to right angles to you might give the most life like drift.
The other thing to think about is accuracy. If a trout is feeding close to the surface, the sight cone/window is reduced. If he is on a fixed station and taking what the currents bring to him, rather than cruising a pool, you have to present your fly almost dab on his snout for him to have a slash at it. If there are a lot of insects on/in the water during a hatch, they (the trout) tend not to move far out of their channel or station and will pass food too far out of reach to wait for the next that is within reach.

That is just how I might approach it, may not work for you- different insects on different waters, but it might give you some food for thought.

[Eric Peper]

William, the green drake hatch on the Henry's Fork and the brown drake hatch each year bring up the largest fish in the river as well as the most anglers. The fishing can be insanely simple, and it can be absolutely maddening. I developed the drake flymph for a very unusual and somewhat obtuse reason. When the green drakes (and some other species) appear we are also invaded by huge squadrons of gulls diving to take the emerging bugs. We all know how trout behave when there is a threat from above. The fish do not want to get any closer to the surface than they have to. It occurred to me that because they weren't gonna give up eating drakes, they might very well find a sub-surface fly more attractive. The fly works.

Eric

This is a duplicate post from the "Dressings" section.