Fly Tying Inventory
One Feather Soft Hackle
Scott Sanchez designed this soft hackle wet fly, and Cheech picked it up after watching Sanchez tie it at the Southeast Idaho fly tying expo. As the name says, one hen saddle feather does two jobs. Its tip stays on top of the body as a wing, and the rest of the same feather wraps as the hackle. Underneath is a dubbed hare's ear body with a pearl Krystal Flash rib, and a little more flash goes in at the head. Tied here on a size 12 hook.
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Materials
Fulling Mill FM5027 Grab Gape Heavy Barbless, black nickel, size 12 (or Fulling Mill FM5005 Heavyweight Champ Barbless, size 12)
Black Nickel · 12
Hareline Dubbin, hare's ear (or dark hare's ear)
Hare's Ear
Whiting Red Label Hen Saddle, brown, one feather for both the wing and the hackle (or Hebert Miner Hen Saddle, dark brown dun)
Brown
How to Tie the One Feather Soft Hackle
- 1
Step 1
Set the hook in the vise, start the thread behind the eye and wrap back to the start of the bend.
- 2
Step 2
Tie in a strand of pearl Krystal Flash at the rear of the shank and let it trail off the back.
- 3
Step 3
Dub a shaggy hare's ear body forward from the flash. Stop short of the eye to leave room for the wing and hackle.
- 4
Step 4
Spiral the Krystal Flash forward over the dubbing in open turns as a rib. Tie it off at the front of the body and trim it. Brush out the body so the fibers stand away from it.
- 5
Step 5
Pick a brown hen saddle feather and hold it against the body to size the tip section, which will be the wing. Preen the fibers below that section back down the stem so the stem is clear where it will be tied in.
- 6
Step 6
Lay the feather on top of the hook with the tip section over the body and the rest of the feather pointing out past the eye. Bind the stem down at the front of the body.
- 7
Step 7
Wrap the rest of the same feather forward in close turns so the fibers form a hackle under and around the wing.
- 8
Step 8
Tie off the feather behind the eye and trim the waste. Stroke the fibers back.
- 9
Step 9
Tie a strand of Krystal Flash in by its middle at the head and fold both ends back along the wing.
- 10
Step 10
Whip finish and cut the thread, then trim the flash to about the length of the wing.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87daE7z8doY
Credit: Scott Sanchez / Fly Fish Food