I have been tying and fishing with soft hackle for over a year now, but I have never really got a grasp on how to swing them. It was a huge help watching someone like Nick do it, then get a few hours to try it myself.
Swinging soft hackle is a great technique for casting down river, and for fishing flat calmer water. I have been using them either off dry’s or, as a nymphs, mainly “high sticking” which is really effective, but it’s always great to learn new ways and techniques. The main aspect to swinging soft hackle is to cast about a quarter down, and keep the line tight, which is contrary to high sticking, where you want some drag in the line. The nice thing about swinging them is you really feel a lot of takes swinging it down stream. You keep your rod tip down lower to the water, and follow the fly through, again keeping the line as straight as possible. When a hit occurs, they almost hook themselves.
I have become a real fan of the classes offered by Western Rivers. They are a smashing deal. You get a night in the classroom and a morning on the river for $50; how do you beat that? To hire a guide for a day is almost $500. Of course you get them one on one all day, but for fifty bucks, the class is a really worth it. Funny thing is the whole time I was watching, and listening, I kept seeing some great shots; I kept composing shots in my head. I don’t like being on the river without weapons, the rod and the camera it’s my one/two punch.
