Why the Soft Hackle Caddis Is My Go-To Fly
I spent years overcomplicating my fly box before I finally realized how effective a simple soft hackle caddis can be on just about any river. Back when I started fly fishing, I thought I needed an exact match for every single bug that crawled under a rock or buzzed over the surface. I had boxes stuffed with intricate patterns that took me forty minutes each to tie, only to realize the fish were often looking for something much more basic. The soft hackle is the ultimate "less is more" fly, and if you aren't swinging one through a riffle during a hatch, you're honestly missing out on some of the most exciting takes in the sport. ...