TYING PARACHUTE DRY FLIES

[wreinhardt]

Looking for help in tying parachutes. Looking for a synthetic material for the post instead of using calf body hair. I tried Orvis para post material. It was useless. Very soft and weak virtually impossible towrap thread and hackle feather around it. Anyone have any thoughts on synthetic post material. Thanks in adsvance for your help.

Bill-R

 

[Maurice]

Bill,

I use calf tail myself. I have also used foam, glow bug yarn, Z-lon and a soft piece of spaghetti. :lol: The key is to get the hook turned so the post is horizontal and then make a half dozen loose wraps up from the base. and figure eighting it to keep it standing up. Once you have it tamed, you can make it stiffer with a touch of head cement before wrapping the hackle. Or should I say, right before wrapping the hackle.

Thats how I do it.

Maurice

 

[tomgamber]

I cut little strips from my kids craft foam...

 

[Padraic]

You can use just about anything. When I use softer synthetic materials, like Zlon or yarn, I tye it in long. Then I can hold it when I wrap the hackle around the post. After the fly is finished, I trim the post to length.

 

[jayL]

I have nothing to add after reading the replies. I use the materials Maurice mentioned and use Padraic's "keep it long" method.

I prefer to use glo-bug yarn since it works as a hi-vis indicator fly.

 

[mediclimber]

Glow bug yarn long and a gallows attachment (I like gadgets). Set it up, wrap it about four times, add a drop of cement, wait a couple of minutes and your off to the races.

 

[dryflyguy]

I use poly or z-lon for parachute posts - it's pretty easy to use and quite durable.
However, I think that calf and deer hair look better, and I tie quite a few flies with that also

 

[jrcll]

I use turkey flats for the post easy to work with and have many colors

 

[Padraic]

Here's a really great tutorial on how to make a parachute. You may want to go through it to see if there is some trick you can pick up.

 

[djmyers]

Do you have the link? It wasn't on your last post.

 

[Padraic]

Sorry, I'm on a lota meds...
http://www.troutflies.com/tutorials/parachute/

 

[skiltonian]

use foam. use can get it in posts in many colors - but I think white is the best. another trick is to create a little seperation between the hackle and fly on the parapost. This will allow the fly to sit a little lower in the surface film. I've done a lot of experimenting with emerger patterns and I found that made the biggest difference.

 

[Crotalus]

I like Congo Hair from flytyersdungeon.com

Also use z-lon and some wingpost material i bought at FFP but i cant remember the name of it right now.

 

[MKern]

I prefer Hareline's para post, which is basically polypropalene yarn treated with watershed floatant. So with that said, it floats well.
It is inexpensive and easy to use.
The trick with getting the post to stand straight up is instead of making a thread dam in front of the post, wrap your thread around the post tightly, the same as you would wrap the hackle. I thinkn this would tighten up the post and keep it from being floppy. Then when you wrap the hackle, wrap it counter clockwise so when you finish the fly you trap less barbs of hackle.

 

[Sylvaneous]

I am forever puzzled why this is such an issue. Just go to a fly shop, find some synthetic parachute ties and ask the owner what it is.
You can use about anything, really. I used Hi-Vis for a while and still do. When I can see my fly on the water, I find nothing better than some CDC feathers tied in. The center quill is stiff enough to tie well around. It is thin, sow the hackle barbs stick out pretty straight. The CDC makes it 'parachute' onto the water better than anything else. AND, if you think it's important, it has a structure that strongly resembles veining of mayfly wings.
Syl

 

[skiltonian]

I also use super hair or any of the material for my saltwater flies

 

[afishinado]

Parachute adams tying video:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_XZlX0mau0

 

[afishinado]

I pretty much tie parachutes the same way as the video I posted above - only not as fast! I mostly use poly yarn for the post – it doesn’t add bulk when tied on top of the hook shank and doubled up, it gives a good look, and floats well. I, like in the video, tie in the hackle vertically along the post. It gives the post more stiffness. I leave 1/16” or so of bare stem, so I am able to pull the hackle feather horizontally, and begin to wind it down the post. The one thing that I do differently is turn the hook 90* to wrap the hackle. In the video, a jointed right angle hackle pliers are used. I may have to get one after looking at the video.

BTW, the tier is Charlie Craven.

 

[Bruno]

Calf's tail and crazy glue is the ticket. Build your post then take a super small drop of glue and place it at the base of your post. I mean small so it does not wick up the post to far. Then add your dubbing and hackle. When you are done with the hackle apply one more drop of glue for the final wrap. This will secure the hackle to the post.

I use a small sewing needle to apply the glue.

 

[sandfly]

remember glue adds weight,,yea-yea I know you only add a small amount, But on a dry fly thats like adding 100lbs. extra for the hackle to hold above the surface film...

Remeber folks the more you add the heavier that fly weighs, one less turn of thread, a little less dubbing it might float for ever...