Soft hackle dry

This is another highly visible dry fly that works quite well for me. I normally fish this in little streams that is tightly overgrown where you have to bow and arrow cast under bushes or into tiny little pockets between branches. I think the wider hen hackle adds an extra trigger for the fish as it creates lots of movement and creates a nice profile on the water. I have had a few fish take it when my leader gets hanged up on a branch and the fly just barely touches the water. It probably mimicked a spider hanging of a branch or something similar in those situations though it certainly wasn't tied to imitate one.

This fly floats quite well mainly due to the additional stiff grizzly dry fly hackle that is first tied in parachute style before the soft hackle gets winded though it.

MATERIALS

HOOK: Grip 11011BL #16 or #18

TAIL: Micro fibbets

BODY: Stripped Peacock quill

HACKLE: Grizzle saddle and hen soft hackle feather

THORAX: Spikey hair's ear

POST: Fluorescent orange antron

Klinkhammer and CDC Dry Fly variation

Another little dry fly that I have had some good success with is this Klinkhammer and CDC variation. I normally use it on a long 6x or 7x leader in clear slow flowing pools.

MATERIALS

HOOK: Partride Xtreme Klinkhammer hook or Grip14723BL

BODY: Black Hends Body Quill and DMC 4012 thread twisted together

HACKLE: Black hackle and CDC Fibres

THORAX: Peacock hearl

POST: Fl. Red Antron

Just another fishing day

I finally had the chance to go fishing one of my favorite un-named small stream yesterday. My fishing partner and I wanted to get on the water early but shortly before we had to leave the heavens opened and it started pouring down and we decided to put the trip of.

Two hours later the sun was shining and it looked like it would be a stunning day. I phoned him to tell him the trip's on and an hour and half later we were busy gearing up.

Right form the first cast I missed a fish and it looked like it was going to be a good day. This particular stream doesn't hold any big fish and is so overgrown that bow and arrow casts is the order of the day. My friend fished his 6"6 2 weight rod and I had my 3 weight rod. We both fished dry flies the whole day and both of us landed a number of fish.

Saterday fishing

I spend some alone time on a local stream this morning.I normally fish with my fishing buddy Roland, but I also quite enjoy spending some time on my own. It means i can fish the way I want to, whether it is fast or slow and dont have to feel guilty when I hog the best water.

Some great looking water

I started fishing at about 7:30am and in the first two hours the going was very slow.I started with a RAB, but soon changed to a CDC and Elk hair caddis with a dropper hanging below the dry. After about two hours of fishing I had only landed two fish and while having a sandwich I was scratching through my flybox and found mt go to pattern from last season. I have completely forgotten about them and this was a very sad looking and well used specimen. I never the less tied it on and kept the dropper below it.

A bit worse for wear, but this little fly saved the day.

On my first cast I landed a nice rainbow and soon after got another one in the same run. From there on I landed about another 20 fish on this little fly until I lost it when a mean little rainbow charged of downstream and broke my 6x tippet.

One rainbow made a spectacular leap on the take and then proceeded to charge straight at me. On the next jump it flew straight into my chest.

When I eventually lost the fly, I tied on a regular Elk hair Caddis again, but had no further luck. I though it might have been the dark colour of the fly that made it so successful, but I could not raise anything on any black flies either.

I also made a spectacular stumble and have a very bruised and swollen leg to show for it. I could not feel it while wading in the cold mountain water but it was a rather painful drive home.

All in all it was a very stunning morning fishing and to boost all the fish were landed on a dry fly.