Cyguy wrote:
Interesting about using stronger tippet … makes perfect sense. For all practical purposes are wet flies and soft hackles fished with the same techniques? Swinging them across and down and pulsing?
I’d agree the same techniques prevail, although I find myself more likely to fish upstream with a soft hackle than with a traditional winged wet. Upstream technique gets some play in Hughes’s Wet Flies, which I seem to revisit regularly, and heartily endorse.
FWIW, I don’t usually worry about having a “wet fly rod” in my hand unless I know setting out that I plan to focus on wets. Usually, I’ve got a rod that I enjoy with dry flies, and if soft hackles seem to be a good strategy, I’ll try one with that rod. Yes, usually one wet. I’m prone to tangles with multiple hinge points, and one takes less concentration, but some of my favorite dry fly rods work well with two soft hackles too; Diamondglass 864, FF79, Lami 7’6” 4wt, Milenkovic 7’6” 3wt, FF70 (although don’t usually fish wets with a rod that short or shorter). If I think I’ll fish three wets, I have a Tycoon Tackle 8’ 5wt that lets me do that with success.
And far be it from me to discourage anyone from getting a new rod, but I’d say that if you’re getting good hookups on downstream presentations, and surviving the first couple of head shakes, you’ve gotten past most of the benefits that a dedicated wet fly rod will probably give you. Strong tippet and fish fighting skill are going to be the big factors at that point.