In this week’s “How to Tie” video feature, Trident Fly Fishing gives us a tutorial on how to tie the BWO Soft Hackle.
Difficulty: Easy
Fall is officially upon us. Colder weather will start replacing hot sunny days and terrestrials replaced by midges and blue winged olives. Morning and afternoon hatches will soon become mid-day hatches. The BWO Soft Hackle is a fantastic fly to imitate the small mayflies soon to be emerging to the surface. Swinging and dead drifting this fly will produce fish and undoubtedly make colder days on the water much more enjoyable.
The profile of the BWO Soft Hackle is extremely simple and buggy, making this an easy tie that will do the work for you underwater. The soft hackle allows for pulsations in the current, imitating the struggling bug trying to transition into a dun as it swims toward the surface. This style fly is very versatile as different body combinations can be created by changing the thread and dubbing. Picking an adult blue winged olive from the surface and looking at the color will help determine the right shade of green or even another color.
For beginners, this fly is incredible. Simple to tie and easy to fish, this emerger will pick up finicky fish on the toughest days. Sizes 14 to 22 for this fly are ideal, but usually you’ll find yourself on the smaller side of this range. Pairing this with an attractor style fly with weight is an efficient way to match the hatch, while using a pattern you may have more confidence with in that specific water. When colder days approach and small mayflies start popping off the water, tie on a BWO Soft Hackle and wait for the tug soon to come.
Ingredients:
- Hook: Tiemco 3769 – Size 16
- Thread: Light Olive
- Body: Turkey Biot – Olive
- Dubbing: Olive
- Hackle: Partridge
Now you know how to tie the BWO Soft Hackle.
Video and ingredients courtesy of Trident Fly Fishing.
