Everyone who casts flies for trout, whether eastern browns or western steelhead, has a favourite system, and it's hard to get a fly fisherman to change his ways. The soft-hackled fly is one of the most venerable trout patterns known to man, having been first on Dame Juliana Berner's famous list dated in 1497. Even hardened sceptics will benefit from Nemes' colourful experiences at home and abroad, and be intrigued by the fascinating history of the soft-hackles, the entomological explanation for their success, and the simplicity of their tying -- for which the author provides illustrated step-by-step instructions.

Trout often prefer underwater aquatic insects because they're more vulnerable than surface stages and are more abundant as well. Fly-fishers know the importance of imitating the specific life stage that trout are feeding on, however most current flies only imitate size, shape, and color of the natural insect. Soft-hackled nymphs also imitate movement and behavior. Tying & Fishing Soft-Hackled Nymphs explains how to imitate sub-surface aquatic insects using both traditional and modern soft-hackled nymphs and flymphs along with the most effective presentation techniques. By exploring effective thread and translucent fur body material combinations, as well as game-bird hackle collars, these flies take on life-like properties. These patterns can be fished throughout the water column from the stream bottom--to imitate immature nymphal forms--to the surface mimicking transitional emergers. Drawing on both traditional and evolved patterns and methods, these wingless wet flies will take you beyond for mulaic fishing techniques to unlimited presentation possibilities and will help you catch more trout.

Dave Hughes has long believed that wet flies have an essential place in everyone's fly box and repertoire of trout tactics. That's why he has updated this 1995 classic with the benefit of the last two decades of developments in materials, tying, and fishing techniques. Includes instructions for making over 60 soft-hackled flies, flymphs, winged wets, and all-fur wet flies—now in full color.

A detailed survey of the history and use of wet flies, with information on the insects they reassemble, fishing techniques and tying instructions.

A thorough exploration of contemporary use of soft-hackle flies--including nymphs, emergers, and dry flies--that pushes the boundaries of how these types of flies can be used. Covers tying techniques, strategy, and presentation and features over 500 soft-hackled flies with color photos and recipes. Learn how to imitate a full spectrum of trout stream aquatic lifeforms with soft-hackled flies.

- 61 fly patterns: Partridge and Orange, Iron Blue Dun, and many more historically proven flies - Ten new chapters on tiny soft hackles and how to tie them - New color photos of 38 tiny soft hackles Sylvester Nemes is singlehandedly responsible for the popularity of the soft-hackled fly in American fly fishing today. The Soft-Hackled Fly, Nemes's first book, written in 1975, was the catalyst for the resurgence. Now revised with ten new chapters on tiny flies and full-color photos, Nemes shares colorful experiences at home and abroad, the history of the soft-hackled fly, and illustrated step-by-step instructions for tying the flies. He also describes his technique of fishing the flies.