Jeff Reardon wrote:
Dave M wrote:
All........
The one that made it to the net took a #4 Fishhead Gartside white Soft Hackle Streamer. That might just be my favorite streamer. Works gang-busters......and pig-simple to tie them up.
Dave M
That is NOT a Gartside soft hackle, and Jack himself is rolling in his grave that you called it one. I once stopped to talk to Gartside at the Marlboro show, and told him how much I liked fishing and tying his soft hackle streamers in both salt and fresh, and then made the mistake of telling him that a cone head version worked really well for pond fishing off ledges.
"If that fly has weight on it, it is NOT my fly. If I wanted to tie a ****ing jig, I would have tied a ***ing jig."
I waited for him to finish and wink, but he was still ranting when I walked away, somewhat afraid for my safety.
A true character and a cranky SOB--but a great fly designer.
Jeff.......
I don’t believe I’ve ever tied a Gartside Soft Hackle without either a cone head or a fish head. I’m well aware of what Gartside said about the fly he invented, but I believe he was wrong. Putting a cone head or the newer fish heads on this pattern improves it by orders of magnitude.
I appreciate what the inventors of various patterns do, but I’ve never, as a tier, felt that I’m a slave to their pattern. I tweak patterns to suit my needs.......and, frankly, I don’t give a flying fig what Gartside thought while he wa alive.
I’m still going to call this pattern a Gartside Soft Hackle.....but I can call it a Dave’s Soft Hackle if some prefer it to be called that.

Dave M