The Pale Ale midge pattern was thought up by a tyer in Colorado . His name is Juan Ramirez. His pattern can be easily found on YouTube.
The Partridge and Yellow has been my go to pattern in the Spring and early Summer, for the past 3 seasons. This year the P&Y has taken a distant back seat to the lowly Muskrat.
This year along with the last, finds the Western Slope of Colorado deep in a severe drought. The rivers are not running as high as normal, and are running clear. Perhaps this plays a part in the switch to the Muskrats unusual high success .
On a whim I had an idea that perhaps down sizing the P&Y to a size 18 might increase its effectiveness. For no particular reason I decided to incorporate the technique for the Pale Ale Midge with the construction of the Soft hackle. In doing so I faced the not so fun task of using partridge on a size 18 hook. I tyed a few up, and they do catch fish. Still, I needed something easier to work with. Natural Brahma hen was decided on.
I have tied a grand total of 12 Pale Ale SH's. For me, it is not a year round pattern. I am sure by the time I run out of them, the need for the light cream colored soft hackles will be over with.
The past few trips to the river has found the lowly Muskrat producing the most fish. The Pale Ale SH has gained a lot of ground and is a now a close second to the ugly gray soft hackle.
Nymphing with and with out an indicator, along with the "down and across swing" is how I am using these soft hackles.