| |
Tying Parachute Wing Posts
By A.K. BEST
I’m getting to the point where whenever I encounter
the beginning of a hatch of mayflies and can see trout rising, I’ll
tie on a parachute of the corresponding size and color of the natural.
I do this because I spend a little time watching an individual trout
in an attempt to determine if it is actually eating those little sailboat
duns. More often than not, those little sailboats go right on gliding
by the feeding trout. The rising trout will invariably eat my parachute
on the first few casts, provided I can get the fly to float down to
the fish in the correct manner. There’s more than one theory regarding
why a parachute pattern is often more effective than an emerger or a
dun. I believe them all!
Tying parachutes can present some technical problems, but only if we
allow them to happen. Wing posts of calf tail or calf hair are traditional.
Both materials are difficult to work with and are time consuming, because
the hair clump must be stacked, which it doesn’t like to do. The hair
is very hard and slippery, and the tie-down area for the wing post is
often bulky and the post will easily twist to one side of the hook.
Another favored material is a segment of sparkle yarn. Even when doubled,
this is a soft material that is difficult to wrap around in preparation
for the horizontal hackle collar.
The only material I use for parachute wing posts these days is white
turkey T-base feathers. They are often called “turkey flats.” Whatever
they’re called, they are 3- to 4-inch-long white turkey feathers that
are almost straight across their tips, and the individual fibers are
heavily webbed, almost to the tips. I clip out the center to a length
that is equal to the hook shank, then strip away each side of the feather
until I have a V-shaped feather that, when pressed together, is as wide
as the hook shank is long.
Roll the tips together and place the feather against your side of the
hook, at a 45-degree angle, with the tips below and pointing forward.
Take a firm turn of thread around both the feather and the hook and
allow thread torque to position the feather on top of the hook shank.
If the feather’s in a position you like, continue wrapping 6 or 7 more
turns of thread to firmly anchor it in place, and clip off the butts
at an angle.
Build a thread dam in front of the feather and then wrap the base, making
sure the first turn of thread is very tight and as close to the top
of the hook as you can get it. Apply a drop of head lacquer over the
thread wraps. By the time you have built the body of the fly, the lacquer
will be dry and plenty stiff enough for wrapping a horizontal hackle
collar.
—A.K.
Check out A.K.’s fly-tying videos, based on his popular books (unless
noted, all times are 60 minutes; prices $19.95): Tying Dry Flies
(120 minutes; $29.95); Tying BWOs; Tying Caddis & Midges;
Tying Callibaetis & Green Drakes; Tying Nymphs & Wets;
Tying Terrestrials; Basic Fresh Water Streamer Tying (available
soon; 120 minutes; $29.95); Basic Salt Water Tying (available soon;
120 minutes; $29.95); Tying Gordons, Hendricksons, March Browns
& Pale Evening Duns (available soon); Tying PMDs, Red Quills,
Tricos and Paraleptophlebias (available soon); Techniques for Tying
Tiny Dry Flies (available soon).
|
|
