Fly tying
Parachute flies
Here's an easy instruction for tying parachute flies. The main problem is usually tying down the hackle and making a proper whip - finish. I'll show you an easy solution allowing you to finish your fly in seconds without tying down your hackle fibers, and it costs no extra money!
When tying parachute-flies, the first steps are like tying any other dry-fly: you wind on your tying-thread, you tie in your wing-post material, then you add tails, ribbing-thread and any thread you intend to use as body-material.
With this body-material, you shape your body, then you rib it. then you use your body-material to raise up your wing-post, and tie in a hackle. (Secure your thread with a half hitch,) take your fly out of the vise and put it back in, this time with the eye pointing straight down.
Now you wind your hackle around your wing-post, starting near the hook-shank and winding 4 to 6 turns up the post.
Now mount your fly back into horizontal position and tackle your parachute fly's problem-zone. A small piece of carton (about 1 by 1 cm resp. .5 by .5 inches) will help a lot. Fold it at right angles, and cut a little slit with your scissors as shown on the photograph. Push this piece of carton, slit forward, all the way between hook- shank and hackle.
This way the hook-eye and the front end of the hook-shank become accessible, and you can tie off our hackle right there and apply our whip-finish.
The first time I described this little tool was in "Fliegenfischen"- magazine, issue 3/1989. It has been surprising ever since how few parachutes are still to be found in the average fly-box. A parachute - fly imitates naturals much better than a fly with a standard hackle wound around the hook-shank. Try it, you'll love it!
Wolfgang Fabisch Nürnberger Str. 45 90542 Eckental Tel 09126 288640 Fax 09126 288643 Copyright: Wolfgang Fabisch
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