I would venture a guess that most American anglers associate Softhackles and Flymphs with Sylvester Nemes and his love of the down and across swing. They probably think it is traditional.
I am not a Wotton fan, but I do like fishing wets as nymphs, and I also like an upstream cast under the surface. Heck I have been known to put Gink on them and fish them as dries.
The versatility of the Wet/Softhackle/Flymph are the qualities that make me love them
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Pretty sure there was absolutely nothing about my fishing upbringing that rang 'traditional'. My first flies were 'traditional' wets. My grandfather used to tell me that just a couple of patterns was all I needed. Fish them on top, under the surface, or down on the bottom; the fish will tell you where they want them. By the time I started to understand what he meant, he was gone and I was left to figure it out on my own. I found Nemes back in HS and it was a revelation to me. The upstream cast became my go-to. The swing, while it can be productive, is repetitive and a little boring. I still do it, of course.
You said it, the versatility of the wet/flymph is what makes it so appealing. I know who Davy Wotton is, but I've never done any due diligence on the man.
