The Soft Hackle season has pretty much ended for me as of this week. At least fishing them in the upper portion of the water column. With the end of the season, and newriverspey's post, I started asking myself what new things I have tried.
1. Purple
No, purple is not new to me. The confidence I have in the color Purple is new. Especially when fishing wets. I started my brother-in-law down the road of fishing wets a few years ago. He fishes them with a great confidence now. I trust his judgement when he notices little changes in how the trout take our wet flies. I will add here he does not tie, so it is up to me to keep him supplied while fishing together with my wet flies. We both like beaded and non-beaded. I use thread on the beaded patterns and silk on the non-beaded patterns. Purple is in the top two of his best producers. So, I have been tying more and more wets in the color purple because of him. I am guessing it was mid-July and he and I were working a very long run on the Gunnison River. About the time the sun dipped behind the canyon walls, the catching slowed down. For no reason at all I replaced one of my wets with a simple Purple and Dun. It worked the pattern kept me in to fish until we had worked the river all the way to my truck. Since then, it has been my go-to, low light conditions pattern. I use it with and without a bead (plastic, glass, or brass). The Purple Soft Hackle accounted for my 3 largest trout, using wet flies, this season.
Ken, I am a convert to the color Purple. Thank you for my first silk thread ever.
2. Prarie Chicken
This is the first time I have used this bird. I do love it.
Thank you Ron Eagle Elk. This soft hackle material has been magic for me. When tied with Brown thread it makes an amazing March Brown. When tied with Orange it has become a fish magnet for me. I so appreciate the gift, Ron!
3.Needle pattern (Kind of}
What can I say? This not so simple (for me) pattern really can put fish in the net. At least for the last months.
4. Fishing wets upstream or up and across.
I committed myself to fish wets on a dead drift this year. I always have, but this year I committed myself to it any time that swinging wets had faltered. I found that using my 10- or 11-foot rods, 15-to-20-foot leaders works well for me when the down and across is struggling. Also, adding sighter wax every 6 to 10 inches on the upper 10 feet of the leader really helped me detect strikes when I had lost contact with the wet flies.
I do apologize for making a short post long, but these are the top "new" things I have done this year.
