Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Thanks Jack....More Soft-Hackle Flies

Over the years I have expressed my admiration of Jack Gartside. A true genius in the fly fishing world. Many of his patterns continue to put fish on the hook. In his book "Fly Patterns for the Adventurous Tyer" which features fresh water patterns from little bugs to large streamers. Many of Jack's patterns feature the use of ring neck pheasant. This bird has a multitude of feathers which can be used, I would say that all of the feathers can actually be used.

The flies tied below while not Gartside patterns do incorporate feathers from the pheasant. And as the book title say's "Adventurous Tyer"...so Jack here are some simple flies tied in the soft-hackle tradition.


The Pheasant Soft-Hackle Streamer 1
This streamer fly has a gold thread body. The wing is a fluffy pheasant marabou feather. The hackle collar is two pheasant shoulder feathers.


The Pheasant Soft-Hackle Streamer 2
This streamer features an orange thread body. The wing uses a fluffy pheasant marabou feather. The collar is two pheasant shoulder feathers, one light colored and one dark colored.


This simple caddis pattern uses a tan thread body. A peacock herl thorax. And a grizzly marabou pheasant feather.

Adventurous...I think so.






25 comments:

  1. Alan
    Good looking flies. We need a serious thaw in order to give them a test run.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TROUT1
      Thanks
      Pete I was out for a couple of hours today...found a few.

      Delete
  2. Jack's flies are wonderful and very creative.... very nicely tied.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Doug Korn, Fly Tyer
      Thanks
      Doug he was a master.

      Delete
  3. Hi Alan, Something different but very nice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. George
      Thanks
      George if you ever get the chance check out some of Gartside's work....

      Delete
    2. will investigate it now you have mentioned it. Cheers

      Delete
  4. These are awesome Alan. I need to try "Streamer 2" next time I'm at the bench!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Delicious Alan! I have got to get my hands on Jack's book a.s.a.p.!! Your streamer patterns above, one and two, are an inspiration and I know that they would take fish in my locale! Great work friend!
    D.'s Den

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dougsden
      Thanks
      Doug you would enjoy his book, he has many awesome flies to tinker with. One of the two streamers worked pretty well yesterday on some local jewels.

      Delete
  6. Well done Alan! I love tying with pheasant and incorporate it whenever I can in many patterns. I love the caddis by the way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Howard Levett
      Thanks
      Howard pheasant is a cheap under used material. Many uses for sure.

      Delete
  7. The streamers are really nice, Alan, but the caddis is brilliant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. William Shuck
      Thanks
      Bill hopefully in times of warmer weather it will work. It's versatile for it can be fished wet or dry.

      Delete
  8. Here's an analogy for you Alan, which I understand is already the case in England;

    Pheasant tail (PT)is nymph as Kleenex is to tissue

    ReplyDelete
  9. Gartside is on my short list of trout literature needs. Love the pheasant streamer. I have a bag of neck feathers here to use on my 18/20 sized soft hackles. They work well.

    Looks like I'll be browsing books again here soon. Maybe a new bookcase, too. This fellow's texts need to be on it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. John Dornik
    Thanks
    John those folks have a very strong bond with the pheasant tail....and to think that it was said they were dry fly purists.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Alan, I love those pheasant streamers. I envision big browns going after those. The caddis looks as much like a real one as I've ever seen. It is fun tying the out of the ordinary flies this time of year.

    I have just finished re-reading a book called 'The Last Pool, Upstream and Down Big Stony.' One chapter involves a couple of fly tiers who have tired of tying dozens of the traditional flies during the winter and start tying non-traditional ones. The whole book is good if one loves fly fishing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Alan
    I'm so impressed with the Pheasant Soft Hackle, I could even see smallmouth or spots nailing this fly. Great job at the vice, thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bill Trussell
      Thanks
      Bill this fly would make a fine bass fly especially when tied a bit larger. Various colors are also an option.

      Delete
  13. The soft hackle streamer was how I like fly tying, simple and good looking. I ll tye up some streamers like that and give them a go in the west coast creeks and mountain lake here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jossilainen
      Thanks
      When you count the materials in those streamers there are but three, and one of those three is the thread.
      Simplicity to the max.
      I would love to hear about your success with these flies on your west coast waters.

      Delete
  14. Three superb examples of worker flies. You know, the kind that put fish on a hook? Nice job Alan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. penbayman
      Thanks
      Mike great title "Worker Flies"!

      Delete
  15. My favorite Striper fly is the Garthside Gurgler that I tie
    RIP Jack

    ReplyDelete