William's Favorite

Some things just ring true when you hear them. A combination of experience and personal preference. This was the case with soft-hackles a few years ago when I was first introduced to them. The same thing that draws me to the solitude of fishing remote water for wild trout somehow resonates when I imagine these little wets actively finding their drift.

I hope this site will raise as many questions as it provides answers, bridging traditional and contemporary fly-fishing. The intent is to end up with a broad conversation on fly tying, with the resources to support the dialogue. With your input this project can be an interesting resource.

I'm William Anderson. For now I have a number of patterns that I use (updated 03-30-2012) and maybe some additional commentary, which I try to keep brief. There are also a number of soft-hackle patterns lists from the historic literature. I'll be adding a great deal of background information, tying techniques (check out the tying silk page), and fishing methods, from many of the world's foremost authorities on the subject.

William's Favorite is a traditional North Country spider credited to Alfred Williams, the father of A. Courtney Williams, himself an accomplished fly-fisherman, who went on to write the Dictionary of Trout Flies, giving the fly it's moniker. Williams was said to have fished this fly for over 50 years and obviously thought a lot of it. I carry these little black flies year around. It covers a lot of naturals and makes a great attractor pattern. It also makes for a fitting name for this site.

Fly Galleries

Updated: 03-30-2012 (Soft-Hackles, Flymphs and Emerger flies updated)
Included at present are a number of flies that I use on my local small and medium streams throughout the Eastern United States. I still have some work to do in the presentation of these collections, but please review the galleries.

Soft-Hackle Fly History

Updated: 07-19-2011
Currently included are several lists of the soft-hackled flies found in much of the historic literature on the subject. Many of these lists include notes on the tying and presenting of these patterns. Mind you, while these are interesting in their own right, the greater interest for me is that these are very effective patterns for use on streams, rivers and lakes around the world. Also included at this point is a bibliography of the rich tradition surrounding these flies.

Soft-Hackle Fly Tying

Updated: 08-23-2011 (Miscellaneous Soft-Hackle Bodies is updated)
This section includes silk, hooks, feathers, bodies and much of the tying resources that will compliment the broader discussion regarding these flies. Tying tips, alternate methods, understanding the materials, body construction and comparitive studies. I really hope this evolves beyond the "how to" section to engage the overall tone of the site.

The Interview Series

Updated: I'm working on the forms and structure.
If all goes well I would like to begin a series of articles/interviews, providing contrast/comparisons from some of the most knowledgable flyfishers and tiers involved in the sport today. These will initially cover tying and fishing North Country spiders, tying and fishing flymphs, understanding the importance of fly design as imitation, and other topics that will offer a collection of varied opinions and complimentary dialogue. If this goes well, it will likely serve as the core content for the site. I am going to need your help for this.

Links

Updated: 08-03-2011
More than just a general list of sites that I think are real cool, I've added some of the best resources on the web. Many have been the cornerstone of my understanding of fly-fishing and tying over the past 10 years. My skills have improved exponentially as a result of the folks who have given so much to make their knowledge and experience available and have taken the time to be part of a brilliant and generous community.