Fly Fishing with Wet Flies: The Complete Guide | Ep. 110

[@venturesflyco]

🐟 Want to level up your skills and meet other like-minded anglers? Go here: vfc.media/YT-Community

[@Trails_trout]

Freestone stream fishing master class

[@edherrmann182]

When I learned to tie flys back in the middle/ late 60’s as a young lad, wet flies were the fly to tie. I learned the old school wet flys with wings and wet hackles. Some of my favorites were tied as size 8, 10, and 12s. I learned to swing wet flies before I learned anything else. And when a fish hit a wet fly you knew it because they slammed them. Today, I still tie a few old patterns as well as the newer soft hackles. Most people don’t realize that many of the materials we have today, didn’t exist 35-50 years ago. Many synthetics and even wire was rarely available or used. I love the materials we have today. But I Remember the hair and feathers, chenilles , and dubbings. Real flosses and limited tinsels. Threads like today were not available. But I’m glad you’re covering wet flies.

[@darrelbaillie7829]

Thank you for the interesting tips. I am not normally one for podcasts, but I find your channel very helpful and informative 👍. Look forward to some more videos.

[@johnhanley8708]

Thanks for all VFC does, enjoy your pod casts and all the info you put out. keep it coming

[@BP-1988]

Another great video! Thanks guys. I've struggled at times when I see fish breaking the surface but not taking dries. Also, I can remember numerous times when I was not paying attention at the end of a drift and then getting bit. After watching Simon's video a few weeks ago, a light bulb came on. They have to be related. Since watching his video, all I've been tying recently to fill my fly boxes are emergers, soft hackles, and cripples. I'm using partridge and CDC for wing movement. I've also tied these same patterns with brass beads, glass bead and with no beads for different depths in the water column. I can't wait to try them out and refine my flies and techniques if needed. Thanks again and keep up the good work!

[@SpencerDurrant]

You bet! Sounds like you're on the right track.

[@FlyGuy420-l1j]

I will never forget "SOFT HACKLE, SOFT HACKLE" Written by Alex and Performed by Spencer! The bill for cleaning my keyboard from a Pepsi spew. Priceless!!! 2 Diet Cokes and 2 Coke Zero`s. On a more serious note. Could you please do a complete on the water with soft hackle episode in 2025? Hint hint early spring would be nice.😉🙂

[@SpencerDurrant]

Oh, we've got some epic stuff cooking for 2025....stay tuned!

[@FlyGuy420-l1j]

@@SpencerDurrant Looking forward to it.

[@FlyGuy420-l1j]

@ Always looking forward to the next Video!

[@GabrielBell-e3z]

Another great video Spencer!

[@daveschlom4033]

Here on the Lower Sacramento my go to when wade fishing is swinging a bird's nest. So fun. To reiterate an important point you made, do not set. The fish will either do that or not. A smooth horizontal, gentle rise of your rod towards the near side bank is a good way to "set." The takes are WAY fun! And you can relax and enjoy the scenery instead of staring at a bobber or your dry. Lovely way to fish AND it works! Good topic Mr. Durant. Do you miss getting called that?

[@daveschlom4033]

Oh and one last thing you can do to double your fishing fun is to nymph or dry up stream and then swing your way back.

[@SpencerDurrant]

I don't miss it, actually....I'm sure that's shocking to hear! Ha. Thanks, Dave.

[@daveschlom4033]

@SpencerDurrant Sounds exactly like me!

[@leonardchecchio1655]

Davy Wotton a Welshman living in Arkansas has a fantastic video on traditional wet fly fishing. He goes into detail re leaders, droppers, different drifts knots and conditions. It’s not just swinging. There are many ways to fish them during different conditions. When swinging a critical factor is to keep the rod tip chest high with a bow between the tip and water surface with a light drag. When the fish strikes do nothing until the fish hooks itself. If you strike the fish will break the line or get off. It can be a very relaxing enjoyable way to enjoy time on the water.

[@collinlheureux1152]

My name is Collin I’m from Idaho I have a wild story. The other day I went down to my local stream couldn’t figure the fish out. I tied on everything I had in my box and nothing then right when I was about to leave I had saw a fish rising for midges so I tied on a size 18 zebra casted 15 feet above where the trout was rising and I saw the fish come out of nowhere and eat my midge and I got it to shore and it broke off. I I rushed the netting. Your podcasts are teaching me so so much about the sport and you thought me how to match the hatch and just wanted to say thanks cuz you are giving me so much knowledge in the sporting

[@venturesflyco]

Zebra midge for the win! Thanks so much for sharing with us Collin. Glad you've found the tips helpful!

[@andersed1]

You can also just drown a dry fly and use it as a wet fly. You can do that by just not treating your dry fly. I have caught a lot of trout that way.

[@ryleeallen9108]

When can we expect a soft tackle tying video to drop? I haven’t tired many and would love a video of tying your favorites!

[@caseydeloach7530]

While the fly is drifting (before the swing) the line is building a belly, how do you feel a take? I’ve tried wet flies several times and always feel like I’m disconnected from the fly.

[@Hooksleft-1]

What was the name of the featured green soft hackle

[@vetlenonilsen5034]

Is the wet fly good on stillwater? And how to use?

[@AustinSutton-v6k]

I am asumming their are specific types of hackles to use for soft hackles. If i wanted to tie my own soft hackle patterns what are some suggested materials to use? Thanks in advance.

[@SpencerDurrant]

Partridge feathers are what I've always used.

[@AustinSutton-v6k]

@SpencerDurrant awesome thank you! Any specific patterns you would reccomend? Keep up the good work. I look forward to the podcast every week.

[@TheShakeylee]

Partridge,starling,woodcock,grouse,hen,and any game bird you can get your hands on

[@RT42069]

A ringneck pheasant skin also has plenty of good feathers to use, and will only set you back about 20 bucks.

[@Theloweredfisherman]

At the end of the podcast, you should try a new wing suace everytime with some wings

[@donnieconwayoutdoors]

Strike indicator with soft hackles/wet flies..?

[@SpencerDurrant]

You could use one, but you don't need to, because you'll feel the take. The fish will aggressively eat these flies, so a bobber would be superfluous, and might even make the drift harder to manage.

[@donnieconwayoutdoors]

@SpencerDurrant Awesome Thank You Spencer I Appreciate It Love Podcast Keep It Going Mentioned You Guys In A Podcast I Did Couple Weeks Ago... Dropped The Link In Form..

[@mikelundrigan2285]

Been fly fishing and tying for 57 years and fish wet almost exclusively, have caught 10’s of thousands of trout in my life! Almost never fish dry! Don’t find I need to! Not saying you shouldn’t but imo you don’t really need to!! Do not walk right up close to the water and cast! Often there are trout close to the bank and you will likely scare them! As they scoot away they will scare the fish further out and you have just reduced your chances! Instead, assume there are trout a foot or two from the bank! Walk slowly and carefully about about twenty feet back and make your first casts a little above your target, only a few feet from the bank and guide the flys (I fish two) so they move past the bank! You will be surprised how often you get a strike and often it is a large trout! Caught many this way! You can too!

[@berkler1422]

Good advise. Had the same experience. Although I do like catching them on drys!

[@jdouglasj2000]

At the 13:10 mark you said "all right, let's get to the point that I reckon everyone has been waiting for." Since you know what people want to hear, why make us listen to thirteen minutes of stuff we don't have time to hear? I love the knowledge part of your podcasts, but it's tough to find because I have to randomly click through the parts that are just chatting. Why not edit your timeline so that those of us who just want to learn something can go straight to it?

[@SpencerDurrant]

That's a good point. At the 13:10 mark I was getting into how to actually fish wet flies, which I bet is a BIG focus of folks who want to learn about this sport. But knowing the mechanical steps of how to fish something only gets you so far. Part of what separates beginner anglers from great anglers is a solid understanding of the WHY behind everything. In this case, I wanted to make sure everyone understood what wet flies are, why we'd use them, and what they're supposed to imitate. If you hit the water with that knowledge, then a lot of the HOW to fish them falls into place and makes a lot more sense. It's all about giving as much knowledge as possible so you can hit the water well-prepared. I promise you the first 13 minutes of this show weren't just me "chatting."

[@chasselynch5733]

Pro tip: tie a pheasant tail with legs a little longer ,perfect BWo Emerger

[@SpencerDurrant]

That's a good tip!

[@jimmymani]

Huge piece missing from this... stillwater! A soft hackle is one of the best producers on alpine lakes at or above treeline. When they are not hitting chironomids, try a soft hackle under an indicator. A peacock starling soft hackle is my top fly for cutthroats in alpines.

[@mikelundrigan2285]

Been fly fishing and tying for 57 years and fish wet almost exclusively, have caught 10’s of thousands of trout in my life! Almost never fish dry! Don’t find I need to! Not saying you shouldn’t but imo you don’t really need to!!