Parachute Style Hackle Size

[Red_headed_Stranger]

I have been tying a lot of parachute style dry flies lately. I generally use them for about 85% of mayfly imitations. I was wondering for any of you that tie a lot of parachute style flies, do you use the normal hackle guide or do you use smaller or larger hackle compared to a traditional dry? I generally haven't been as particular and will use something close to the traditional size, but will go over or under a size or two. Also, do you find that smaller or larger hackle affects a parachute as much as it would a traditional dry?

 

[Bamboozle]

Red:

I like hackle that is AT LEAST 2X the hook gap for my parachutes. Depending on what "standard" you follow that may be anywhere from .5 or more from what is considered "normal sized" hackle.

My feeling is that if the hackle is too short, it doesn't support the fly as well and since parachutes don't have the support of regular hackle; longer hackle helps the fly to float better AND longer.

Also the longer hackle makes the dimples in the surface film which MAY appear like the legs of the natural to the fish.

 

[Wulff-Man]

To add to what Bamboozle said, I have been tying a lot of my parachutes with average to smaller hackle (compared to catskills) because I thought it made a neater-looking fly, and it also is easier to tie because the hackle doesn't get in the way as much when finishing the fly. But sometimes I have a problem with my parachutes laying on their side when fishing with them, and it got my attention when someone mentioned in a previous post here that parachutes should be tied with larger hackle to prevent this. It makes sense to me that a larger hackle will prevent the fly from tipping over, so I started tying them that way now.

 

[Red_headed_Stranger]

Thanks for the replies. Yeah I figured that it probably made more sense to go with larger hackle size, but like Wulff said, it doesn't make for as neat of looking fly. That being said, most of my flies don't look neat and somehow I still manage to catch a fish now and then.

 

[JackM]

I've been seeing a lot of these billboards lately:

 

[Fredrick]

Jack,was one of those signs on your front lawn ? :-D