Parachute Adams

[Fred]

I have a few questions about tying this fly:

How do you tie off the hackle on smaller sizes?

Ever experiment with different colored dubbing or tail material. For instance, olive dubbing and microfibet tail? Or, anything else? Did it work?

What material do you like for the post?

Thanks

[icthys]

I'm also curious how to tie of hackle. I'm new to tying and can't quite get a good tie off with hackle.

[Cary]

Fred, if you vary the body color, its no longer a parachute adams. Its something else.

Best post for the parachute adams is stacked kip. the crinkles trap alot of air. White T-base feathers (turkey flats) make a great post as well.

I like using cree for the hackle, and I think if Len Halladay had cree hackle available, he wouldnt have messeed around with marrying a grizzly and brown. On small flies, just make three wraps of hacle.

[jdubya]

calf tail or calf body hair for the post??

if you change the color and it is something else, what is it called? a variant adams? a bright red body; a parachute sunburned JW? just freebasing here....

[Utah DaveII]

where the he** did you get your cree from. You don't know how many years I have been looking for a cree neck or saddle.

Fred, I have become a little partial to various types of poly yarn posts.

One thing to let you know. I once read that the original adams was tyed with a yellow thread. when wet the thread gives the muskrat a yellowish tint. I have since used different colors of thread for different types of flies. Yellow in summer and olive in spring, and sometimes just different shades of gray.

[Crosby]

Fred- changing dubbing - just makes it a parachute BWO or whatever- I use many things for posts- feathers ect, mostly for the small parachutes I just use the micro zelon, have used crystal flash or just about anything- I do not tie off on the hook- I just catch it on the post a couple of times the down to the hook and finish off. I have not had problems with the parachute coming un done.

[Cary]

Calf body doenst flair, I like tail better. Poly makes a great post, esp when tied in using Troth's "gulper" style. I have two cree necks, one rather dark, the other light. Still looking for the perfect blend of ginger, white & grey. have a buddy in CA that owns a shop, every now and then he puts one aside.

Truth be known, I buy all my parachute adams these days. Given my limited time to tie. My favorite departure from this pattern is an AK-style parachute pattern, using a grey feather quill. Specifically:

size 18 ring-eye dry fly hook (TMC 101 or Dai Ichi 1480
Tail: spade fibers, tied in how AK ties his olive quills
body: light grey dyed hackle quill
Post, white t-base feather
hackle, three wraps cree
head. olive/grey dubbing (ahead of post).

I call this fly the "Confidence Quill" for reasons obvious to me. But basically, its the color and stile of a parachute adams.

JDub, I think you should come with a pattern for the freebase fly. Perhaps a fly you light on fire, cast frantically a few times, then check it into rehab?

[jdubya]

"Perhaps a fly you light on fire, cast frantically a few times, then check it into rehab?"

The RP Flash in honor of the ether fire that consumed Richard Pryor's face many moons ago....

[Fred]

Crosby, do you actually whip finish the thread on to the post? is that what you're saying?

Cary, any favorite sources for buying flies? Do you order them from somewhere? I would probably rather do that for the smaller sizes.

[cheech]

I always tie parachute flies with trukey flats for the post, and I secure the hackles to the post, then use a half hitch tool to tie it off right in front of the post. I'm not so good at explaining it, but it works. I also have switched from a traditional Parachute Adams to a biot bodied PA. I think it makes it look a lot more buggy. If you want a REALLY bouyant fly, tie the body out of a thin strip of foam.

Cheech

[Trouty]

In addition to regular posts, I usually tie some up with a clear antron post. It really improves visibility on smaller flies - for those of us which are small-fly-visually -challenged.

[Crosby]

Fred- no- I just catch the hackle on the post a couple of times- them back down and then whip er off.

[nhancock]

I use either white or cream. It gives the appearance of wings and it makes the fly really easy to see. I leave it long until I wrap the hackle then trim it short. You can also use an x the post and divide it to make the wings look more defined. If you do this it gives a natural place to tie off between the wings.