Fly Tying Inventory
Red Rib Soft Hackle
Cheech's update on the traditional trout soft hackle. It keeps the simple look of the old flies, with a rusty brown turkey biot body, a small brown UV thorax and a brown hen saddle collar, and it adds a red wire rib so the fly holds up from one fish to the next. Like other soft hackles, it does its work on the swing through the current, where the collar gives it natural movement. Tied here on a size 14 hook.
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Materials
Fulling Mill FM5150 Tactical Shorty Barbless, non-reflective black, size 14 (or Fulling Mill FM5095 Comp Heavyweight Barbless)
Non-Reflective Black · 14
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread 18/0, black (or UTC Ultrathread 70 Denier)
Black · 18/0
Fulling Mill Turkey Biots, rusty brown (or Turkey Biot Quills, rusty spinner)
Rusty Brown
UNI-Soft Wire, red, small (or UTC Ultra Wire, red, brassie)
Red · Small
Fly Tyer's Z-Ment glue, for the biot body
Fulling Mill Euro Nymph Flash Dub, Brown UV (or Brown Olive UV)
Brown UV
Whiting Red Label Hen Saddle, brown
Brown
How to Tie the Red Rib Soft Hackle
- 1
Step 1
Start the thread behind the eye and lay a smooth, flat base back to the start of the bend.
- 2
Step 2
Tie in a turkey biot by its tip at the rear of the shank, with the rest of the biot extending past the bend.
- 3
Step 3
Tie in the red wire at the same point and bind the end along the shank.
- 4
Step 4
Bring the thread forward over the tie-in wraps to keep the base smooth, and stop short of the eye so there is room for the thorax and collar.
- 5
Step 5
Run a thin coat of Z-Ment along the thread base. Grip the butt of the biot with hackle pliers and wrap it forward in touching turns to form a segmented body. Tie it off and trim the excess.
- 6
Step 6
Wind the wire forward over the biot in even, open turns. Tie it off at the front of the body and trim the excess.
The wire is what protects the biot, so keep the turns snug and evenly spaced from end to end.
- 7
Step 7
Dub the thread lightly with Flash Dub and wrap a small thorax just ahead of the body.
- 8
Step 8
Pick a brown hen saddle feather, strip the fluff from the base and tie it in by the tip just ahead of the thorax.
- 9
Step 9
Wrap the feather forward in close turns, stroking the fibers rearward as you go. Tie it off behind the eye.
- 10
Step 10
Whip-finish, then trim the thread and the feather stem.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2eiV0pN7s4
Credit: Cheech / Fly Fish Food