FLYMPH FORUM

Hello Gents -

I have been lurking around for a bit and figured it was high time to introduce myself. I have been tying on and off for about 25 years, quite a bit lately since I have some decent fishing close to where I'm currently living in SE Pennsylvania USA. I enjoy tying Carrie Stevens style streamers and have been enjoying soft hackle tying lately since they seem productive in my local stream and are fun to tie.

Here are a few soft hackles I tied today, I do like to tie traditional patterns but felt like going a bit crazy today. I am an awful photog so I apologize in advance, but hope you can enjoy them. A day without learning is a day lost, so I would love to have some feedback on technique.

I like 'em. Got the recipes handy?

Looks like you'll blend right in.

Welcome aboard!!

The first one looks like a black laced white dyed chartruese for the hackle?....these are great looking feathers, but I find it difficult to find nice small ones.....if you're looking for feedback, I like it, but I would have stripped one side of the hackle or limited it to one turn....again just my thoughts.

the second one has winter steelhead written all over it!!!

keep them coming!!!

Welcome aboard and glad to see you jumping in with your own tyes! In terms of feedback, I like them both. I would also be interested in the materials lists and names for each of these patterns. The bottom one reminds me of one of my patterns (POP flies), but with a more jazzy/snazzy color scheme. I would like to make a handful for testing on steelhead. I think these would look cool with different hot colored thoraxes (orange, purple, blue, peach, etc.).

Great job on them both. I look forward to seeing more of your creations in the future.

I LIKE'M! THEY ARE EXCELLENT AND TIED WELL. ONE SMALL CRITIQUE! ON #1, IT SEEMS A LITTLE OVERHACKLED. I LIKE THE TWO-TONED HACKLE THOUGH. #2 MAKES MY MOUTH WATER! GREAT STYLE AND YES, I TOO LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING MORE OF YOUR PATTERNS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. HAVE YOU FISHED THESE? DO THEY WORK?
YOUR PAL IN THE DEN,
DOUGSDEN

Thanks for all the feedback, I agree that the first is heavily hackled.. but I have had better success with heavier hackle for warmwater...and its about that time here in SE PA. It is tough to get those popper pack feathers small, I tied this one in clumps with the tips facing forward and then folded them back, this got the length to where I wanted, but does get a fatter less tapered head then I like.

The recipe for the second is:
Kamasan B175 hook
Hackle: Coturnix Quail
Thorax: Davy Wotton SLF standard dubbing (from the cube, if you want the color number let me know and I'll look it up)
The body is white silk over holographic tinsel, so it will be translucent when its wet. (I could see purple as a variation for steelie)
tag is a bit of the tinsel sticking out.