The Trout Line Newsletter - March 25, 2018

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THE TROUT LINE

March 19, 2018

Welcome to The Trout Line Newsletter! This is our Tualatin Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter newsletter that will be coming out twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month.

Fly of the Month - Peacock Soft Hackle

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Written by Mike Gentry.

Potter Stewart, a former U.S. Supreme Court Justice, when ruling on a pornography case years ago, remarked that "I may not be able to define it but I know it when I see it". That well may hold true for the allure of a soft hackle - neither the fisherman not the fish may be able to say with certainty what the fly represents, but both know it is a winner when seen on the end of a line and drifted through good trout habitat

Head: Medium gold bead
Hook: Tiemco 100BL or 3769 (for stronger hook in bigger sizes) #s 10-16
Thread: Black 8/0 unithread
Body: Peacock herl
Ribbing: Fine silver wire
Hackle: Grouse or partridge breast feather

1. Place the bead head on the hook, secure the thread on the hook and secure the bead head with wraps of thread.

2. Wind the thread back to just past the beginning of the bend of the hook and secure a length of silver wire, letting the rest of the wire trail off the back of the hook and out of the way.

3. Tie in by the tips one (for sizes 14 and 16) or two (for sizes 10 and 12) 5 or 6 inch long peacock herl strands, wind around the thread to make a yarn, and wind the yarn forward to the bead head and tie off.

4. Counterwrap the wire over the body with six or so wraps to behind the bead head and tie off with two turns of thread and clip.

5. Select and trim to length (by cutting the feather quill) a grouse or partridge feather with beginning strands about the length of the body. Right behind the bead head, tie in the trimmed quill tip with two wraps (fore and aft over the quill tip) over the tip. The short feather will be sticking out more or less perpendicular to the hook shaft.

6. With a small hackle pliers, grasp a few of the middle splines of the outer tip end of the feather and gently wind the feather one wrap right behind the bead head. This is the diciest part of the process; it is necessary to use very little pressure on the pliers while winding or the gripped feather splines will tear away. Tie off the wrapped feather with two turns of thread and cut or gently tear away the tips grasped by the hackle pliers.

7. Finish by wrapping three or four turns of thread right behind the bead head, to grasp a bit of the wrapped hackle feather. Tie off and clip the thread and secure with a tiny bit of head cement.

Various articles I've read, and various people I've talked to, suggest this pattern at times can serve for emerging forms of various mayfly or caddis species as they travel through the water column. The pattern also can be tied without a bead head to provide more emerging or slightly subsurface stages. It is very effective when fished through they swing, particularly at the rise at the end of the swing.

Meetings Location and Dates

Regular chapter meetings are held at the Lucky Labrador Public House 7675 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, OR 97219 (503) 244-2537. Food and beverage available. Social get together starts at 6:30 pm and formal meeting starts at 7:00 pm unless otherwise noted in the newsletter or website.

***No April Meeting ***

May Meeting: May 9, 2017

Speaker: Joel La Follette

Topic: Oregon Trout Trail

The Oregon Trout Trail was conceived as a way to inspire anglers to explore the great state of Oregon. We have such an abundance and variety of Trout fishing opportunities in our state yet many of us are stuck in a rut of fishing the same waters all the time. The Oregon Trout Trail is a challenge to any and all who wish to try to catch and release 6 native Trout species in our state. Hopefully in doing so they will discover places they have never been to before and gather memories that will last a lifetime. For more information about Joel La Follette http://ntnw.joellafollette.com/