Fly fishing with a soft hackle fly is the oldest fly fishing technique known. Long before there were fly shops, birds raised for fly tying, and even fiberglass fly rods, fly-fishermen took to their local waters with fly boxes full of these beautifully simple flies. We have been devoted students of fishing soft hackles ever since the early days of the shop, and all of us at Western Rivers are excited to share this fly-fishing technique with you.
This class is designed for fly-fishers of all abilities. For those new to fly-fishing, swinging a soft hackle is one of the easier ways to get started. We are often just as productive catching fish with soft hackles as fishing with nymphs, and there is no need for clunky indicators or lots of split shot. If you've been fly-fishing for a while, and want to try a more relaxing and less technical way to fish wet flies, you'll soon understand why we are so excited about fishing this way.
There are two sessions to this class: The first will be held at the shop during the evening; the second session will be held on the river.
Day 1: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM at Western Rivers. All you will need to bring for the first class is a pen and pad of paper for notes, and our first class session will cover the history, understanding of flies, and introduce the concept of swinging flies to catch fish.
Day 2: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM at designated river location. Class will discuss prime water and situations appropriate for fishing Soft Hackles as well as basic concepts and techniques before spreading out to apply the techniques, practice and ask questions while fishing.
$175.00/student
Class size is limited to 4 students.
2025 Dates:
April 3rd & 5th, 2025
Cancellation Policy: In event of cancellation, we must receive notice 14 days prior to the first class session. If cancellation is received 14 days prior to your class, you may transfer your deposit to another date within the same calendar year, or receive a full refund. If you cancel within 14 days of the start date your payment is non-refundable unless we are able to fill the seat. Out of respect for instructors and waitlist students, we are unable to provide refunds for seats that are unable to be filled.