Soft Hackle Dry Fly (SHDF)

Halford's Hackle Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear.

Are you familiar with the soft hackled dry fly? Have you heard of a Jingler, Cinberg, etc?

Halford in his "Dry Fly Entomology" and the section of his 100 Best Flies lists many hackled dry flies fronted by a soft hackle. In fact his favorite pattern the Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear dry fly has a hackle version. That is the focus here. It is a great pattern and the category of SHDF flies are awesome.

I do though dive into attempting the winged version which uses hare's ear twisted in a doubled over strand of silk as a "false" hackle. The twisting method is very reminiscent of how Leisenring spun his bodies.

For more information on SHDF read this amazing article by Stephen Wright in The American Fly Fisher:

https://www.amff.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Winter-TAFF-2024-web.pdf

Thanks!