I like this forum you guys fish. Most of the time when talking soft hackles and wet flies on other forums or on the rivers and after hours the bulk of replies are,- I don't fish them, I don't catch any fish on them. ever. Thats old school stuff that is not effective and rarely works. I look in disbelief.
I also like flymphs,I even swing those even on my two handed rods, lots of trout and salmon came to hand. I tie a variety of soft hackles some weighted with lead free wrap, different colors, shapes, some with tinsel and holographic tinsel, old classics as well. My choices vary but I have to look a the river, time of year, color of the water, what is hatching, cloudy or stained water from rain high water events.
Besides all that there are the different ways to fish them, wake and skate, dead drift and grease line (one of my favorites) dead drift and swing just under the surface, swinging like streamers, get them deep by mending and get them to lift quickly. I don't practice multi fly because one is enough for me but I could add in dapping, casting up river in riffles and let them swim back down to me. up river curve casts and let them sink and drift back stripping line, the curve cast upstream and across is work but its really deadly.
SO many good times, great fishing and big fish on flymphs, soft hackles and wets. Lift swinging for me works best when a hatch just starts and an occasional fish comes up, What are they midges? caddis? mayflies? Tie on a green and black, or small black, Partridge and gold, fish it just right and work the river down and back up an hour or so later when they are rising much better.
Very versatile flies that can be fished so many ways effectively and usually I have to be creative, and find the speed, or the depth or the rise and usually all the above, and when its right you will know.
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