your honest opinion

[Fishnkilts]

I threw this together last night, and I kind of like the looks of it, so I tied a few more for this long weekend. I don't know if it's an existing pattern or not, but being limited on materials, this is what I came up with.

What I enjoyed about tying these is I finally was able to practice tying large soft hackle. I watched a video from Orvis and tried it out. One or two flies didn't turn out so good, but the more I tied the better they got.

So go ahead and give me your honest opinion. I can take it.

Hook: Firehole 609 #14
Tail: Brown goose biots
Body: Hare's Ear
Rib: Gold wire, small
Hackle: Hungarian Partridge.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

I'd fish it in a heartbeat. Proportions look good to me. Biot tails are interesting, I usually use pheasant tail fibers. It should catch a lot of air bubbles with that spiky body, and that's a good thing.

[driftless]

I agree with Ron. Nice job. Can't beat hare's ear for the body and partridge for the hackle! Try it in a #16, too!!

[chase creek]

Have to agree with Ron also. I don't think I've ever seen a biot tail on a Soft-Hackle before, but will work just fine.

[Fishnkilts]

I'd fish it in a heartbeat. Proportions look good to me. Biot tails are interesting, I usually use pheasant tail fibers. It should catch a lot of air bubbles with that spiky body, and that's a good thing.

Thanks guys. Any advice you can give is taken with many thanks.
The biots just came to mind because it was just different. I have no idea how, or if they will have any effect on the fly, but I'll find out. But that's the thing about fly tying, you're limited by your imagination. Plus I had been tying a lot of Prince Nymphs for my nephew & thought why not. It's a different look, I give you that. But you just never know.

[DUBBN]

Your proportions look spot on. At the end of the day, you will have to fish it, and let us know how it works for you.

[Old Hat]

Looks wonderful to me! I usually use biots for stonefly patterns. I have tied a lot of Prince nymph variations and over the years they have, for me, evolved into more of a soft hackle. I gave up fishing them for trout, not because they did not work but I believe there are better options. I reserved them as a steelhead nymph in large sizes. Basically what you have here but with biots also at the thorax. Not being as soft as other materials, I do think there is the chance of the tail biots getting in the way of hook ups on smaller hooks. Nothing here other than my intuition. I do think pheasant tail fibers would be an improvement. Also, since I use this design mostly for stoneflies, I weight the pattern and fish it more like a nymph than an emerger. The biots just don't give off that "emerger" profile and a light fly with stiff tail biots will easily capture small currents during the dead drift and cause the fly to tumble more which is fine fished as a dislodged nymph rather deep but not the best attribute for an emerger pattern. So my honest opinion is it looks awesome, well tied, good proportions. Now you just have to figure out the best way to present it. If it was me, I would fish it deep, it would not be my choice as soft hackle emerger.

[Fishnkilts]

I don't have my computer with me right now so I can't show photos of today's fishing trip here in Meeker CO.
So when I get home I'll post the photos.

Old Hat, I understand what you're saying about the biots, but one of the reasons I tied them on is because the fish in the White River love the Prince Nymph. So I figured why not try it?

Today was flipping incredible. That fly worked deep and shallow. I used it also above a nymph, then changed it up and fished it below a dry. At the end I just put two on the line & did awesome! I ended up getting a double up which were two rainbows. And yes, I got a photo which I will post when I get home. The whitefish loved them all day long. They are so powerful.

Near the end of the day I started thinking what the hell was so great about dry flies? This was a fun day.

So in a few days I'll post some photos.

[Roadkill]

Fishnkilts, I love the fly!

I don't use stiff biots for tails or wing cases on Prince nymphs or stoneflies anymore. I use rubberlegs in various colors and sparkles on many flies. After fishing Girdle Bugs years ago I became a believer in the added motion.

[joaniebo]

Did a dressing like this awhile back with hare's ear dubbig, red biots for the tail, white biots for the wing and a partridge hackle. Will have to do a few more soon. Thanks for jogging an old guy's memory.

Bob