Craven's Soft Hackle Emerger

The Craven's Soft Hackle Emerger, designed by renowned tier Charlie Craven, emerged in the late 1990s as a versatile solution for mimicking emerging mayflies during a hatch. Craven’s innovation blended traditional soft-hackle designs with modern materials, creating a fly that bridges the gap between nymphs and dry flies. Its sparse construction, including a CDC collar and soft hackle, gives it a lifelike motion that perfectly mimics the vulnerable phase of an insect struggling to break through the water’s surface. This pattern has become a favorite for anglers targeting finicky trout feeding in the film, especially during the prolific Blue Wing Olive and Pale Morning Dun hatches.

Dry-Film Drift: Apply a minuscule amount of floatant only to the CDC collar, allowing the body to sink while the hackle rides in the surface film. Use this technique during selective sippers targeting emerging insects.