What it is
Hareline UV2 Grizzly Soft Hackle is a selection of grizzly soft hackle feathers with a webby texture, so the fibers move and breathe when you fish it. The UV2 treatment adds UV fluorescence and UV reflectance, and the feathers have a double-dyed finish.
What to tie with it
At the bench it’s a go-to feather for wrapping soft hackle and for palmering as hackle on a Wooly Bugger. You can also pick fibers for nymph tails and legs, spin or wrap it as a collar on streamers, and use sections for small Matuka-style wings. The feather also crosses over into dries as wing material (both down and upright styles) and into warmwater patterns as claws for crab and crayfish impressions.
Flies and the fish they're for
The Wooly Bugger is the obvious home for this material, where the hackle gives the fly its pulsing profile and extra life on the strip. Fish it for trout in rivers and stillwaters, for smallmouth in creeks and rivers, and for bass in ponds and lakes. The same hackle-wrap approach also fits right into streamer fishing anywhere you’re imitating leeches, baitfish, or swimming nymphs.
How it compares
Compared with Hareline Hen Saddle, this runs more costly, but the Hen Saddle doesn’t have the UV2 double-dye. Hen Saddle sizing is better catalogued, so it can be easier when you’re trying to match feather length to a specific hook size.
