The soft hackle flies are some of the most versatile flies we have. By expanding my Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle Series from size 16 up to size 8 in both Olive and Brown we have been able to get outstanding fishing under a broad variety of conditions throughout the season.
For example, when the Eperous pleuralis (Quill Gordon) mayflies hatch in the spring the nymphs pop their wings deep in the stream and swim to the surface of the stream with their wings out. Fishing the Mr. Rapidan Brown Soft Hackle 14 upstream dead drift will catch many of these trout.
The Stenonerma vicarium (March Brown) comes on shortly after this in both the mountain streams and the large streams like the Beaverkill. Along where Horse Brook Run enters the Beaverkill use the Leisenring Lift with the Mr. Rapidan Brown Soft Hackle 12 and you will get great fishing for large trout.
This same Leisenring Lift is also very productive when the sulphur hatch comes on in the east in the spring and pale morning dun comes in on the Rockies in August and early September. During these hatches I use the Mr. Rapidan Olive Soft Hackle 16.
In the fall when the beatis nymphs are becoming active in the Rockes, but before the hatches become heavy, the Mr. Rapidan Olive Soft Hackle 16 fished down and across stream with a SA Mastery Sinking Tip Line is very productive. A very slow deep sweeping tactic with little or no added motion usually brings solid strikes. Once the hatch becomes heavy I switch to a floating fly line with the same fly. However, now I import a slow two inch twitching action to the fly while using the the same down and across stream presentation. This mimics the natural emerging beatis mayflies and is great just before and during the hatch.
During September when the Hexagenia mayflies hatch on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River the last hour of the evening you can get great smallmouth fishing. I use the size 8 Olive Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle and fish it down and across stream to bass I see swirling or to just cover the water if the hatch is sparse. Another effective ploy is to fish this emerger on a 3 foot 2X piece of tippet material attached to the bend of a Mr. Rapidan Dry Skater fished down and across stream with the drag on the surface and the emerger just below the surface.
The more you experiment with the soft hackle flies the more creative tactics you will discover when using them.
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