Soft Hackles

I usually just keep them pretty simple, thread body with a little bit of copper ribbing, and then a patridge palmered hackle near the eye of the fly.  I usually use subdued colors like Olive, Brown, Green or Tan, and fish them small right in the surface film.  Usually the body hangs in the water column, and the partridge sits right in the film.  For stocked trout I usually fish these small, right in the 16-22 size, and for steelhead 12-16.  Don't  be afraid to experiment fishing these with different colors for steelhead, orange, blue, purple or pink.  This is a really simple fly to tie but you can get intricate if you want, have fun tying!

That first soft hackle Hares Ear that D-Nymph posted is a killer.
 
Soft Hackles can be as simple as a thread body and hackle, or can have a tail, ribbing, flashback as D-Nymph showed, bead head, bead body, thorax dub, dubbed body...etc etc. Use your imagination.
 
My favorites are....
 
Early Season Trout- #16 Chocolate Brown Body and #16 Pheasant Tail Body. Both have 3 pheasant tail fiber tails and 1-2 turns of grouse wing for the hackle
 
Mid Season - #16 Sulphur Soft Hackle (dun tail, yellow body, cream hackle) #12 March Brown Soft Hackle (pheasant tail tail, tan body, dark brown rib, 2 turns of grouse or partridge hackle)
 
I have a few soft hackles that I swing for steelies. Same style ties, just a bit flashier and bigger. Floss bodies, flashy ribs, and long webby saddle hackle for the soft hackle.
 
 
I generally fish soft hackles on large bodies of water where I can make long casts and cover some water. If you are familiar with them...places like the Loyalsock Creek, Pine Creek, Lower West Branch of the Delaware River. I use an 11.6' 6wt and 12' 7wt rod most of the time, but have used up to a 16' 11wt for kicks. I'll start at the absolute top of a hole and make a few short casts across the stream and let the flies swing down and across.  I will lengthen every cast until I reach the far bank, and once I do, I will take a step downstream every 3rd cast or so (unless one produces). If I am not getting takes, I will add a strip or pull into the swing, upstream mend, downstream mend, or throw on a beaded pattern or sinking leader for more depth.
 
There are many ways to fish them, but I prefer the down and across swing with 3 flies on a dropper rig. The largest or heaviest fly at the front.
 
 
 
Best
,
Fisher

Give you guys a tip, dont bother to wrap soft hackles, not only is it a waste of time but its hard to make them look good.

Cut a small v at the tip of the feather in the center. Lay it on top, wrap the thread, then just let it spin in the bare hook like you spin deer hair.

Cut a V right at the tip of the feather then use the the feather, not the cut tip. I owe a guy on here some photos tonight of a tie. Ill do one to show you.

You basically just need to cut the stem without cutting the feather fibers coming up from the bottom section.

If the trout aren't rising, soft hackles are my choice.
I like to fish em high in the water column and impart a little action into a slow swing offering.
I will on occasion add one or two micrshots depending on speed of the water.
The best hits are the ones where you see the splash, boil or wake when they take em just under the surface.
 
 My top three flies in order of producing fish:
partridge and tan (my go to fly)
partridge and peacock (with a small red tag)
grouse and dark hairs mask.
 
I also tie em in yellow and green.
Mostly tied on 14 wet fly hooks with a few in smaller sizes.

Go here  http://winglesswets.forumwww.com/
 
You have to join to read the forums, but it is probably exactly what you are looking for.  Good group of folks and very helpful.  The site owner is a master softhackle tyer.

dont forget dan, bwo's dive too, just like caddis

Any barred or mottled bird feathers will do a nice job.  The small feathers on a pheasant's or grouse's head are great, as are the head feathers of many birds.  I also like to pick through the indian hen saddle patches that are sold in many stores.  They usually come in some great colors and are really cheap.  Problem is that many times the stems are weak compared to the genetic chicken feathers out there.  You can also purchase hen saddles sold by the big hackle producers like Whiting and Metz. 

Its not too hard actually to wrap the hackles and make them look good. I was lucky enough to learn a couple of tricks that might help.
 
 First off depending on which way u are wrapping the hackle around the hook, strip the fibers on that side only.
 
 Another thing is not too make too many wraps . 2 or 3 is plenty with maybe 4 in some situations

Cold,
 I think if you are sure you are going to be using a lot of soft hackles, get the fowl skins.
 A Hungarian partridge skin will tie hundreds of soft hackles.
A bit of advice would be not to mail order. you need to inspect before you buy. And get a skin that has a lot of useful feathers near the neck.
Nice work, BTW.