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3. Parachutes, Page 2

Thanks, Matt.

Yeah, I've seen that method and many others over the years. I was blessed to learn from the master. I spent hundreds of hours tying with and watching Bob Quigley tie parachutes. Nobody did it better...

Hackle isn't trapped his way nor is its integrity broken. You bring the bobbin tight to underneath the eye. Wrap with the tube end underneath the hackle. I'm not gonna lie that it's easy. Takes a lot of practice dealing with thread tension to keep it there. Learning to whip by hand keeping the wraps underneath the collar takes practice as well... But the skill can be acquired. When you have it down, it's fast, efficient and by far the most elegant way to tie a parachute...

Kurt, see above. You don't need spider thread to tie off Klink style. Veevus 14/0 or 16/0 thread works just fine for the entire fly, and is so thin it does not elevate the hackle much, if at all. I finish the thorax first, then wrap the hackles and tie off underneath. No bent hackles, very clean fly. IMHO this is the most elegant way to tie a parachute. :) The thread is incredibly strong for the diameter, so one can crank it down tight.

I've also seen guys tie off the stem at the head of the fly, and just throw half-hitches with a tool up and under the hackle. Making sure your knot goes over the hackle stem...The tool pushes the hackle out of the way and you don't have to pull it all back...

Just a thought: If your hackle can't handle you pulling it back while you whip finish the head, it's probably not secure and may fail you on the river...Don't you just hate that when it happens?! Especially if you paid for the fly in your favorite shop. :)

Spence

Haven't bought a fly in ten years.

Wow, Matt, I would never have figured with all of your years' experience, and how beautifully you tie, that it's only been ten years since you've bought a fly. Though not nearly up to your skill level, it's been a whopping 25 years since I bought my last fly, and in fact haven't fished with one made by anyone else in all that time. And since I've caught plenty of beautiful fish (of many species, including my share of trout), I must be doing something right...

Jonathon

Jonathon,



I used to get lazy and would buy little #18 - #20 flashback PT's and Copper John's because I didn't feel like putting in the effort to tie them. There is an on-line fly dealer who sells top of the line quality flies and his nymphs are as good as anything I could tie so I bought them. Since I've been retired I don't have as much disposable income anymore to waste it buying flies I can tie.

Today I tied a dozen #16 olive scuds and a bunch of "Walt's Worms" - a central PA pattern that imitates crane fly larvae. Now I'm in the middle of a dozen #22 Grizzly midges.

I took a fly-tying class back in January of 1990 at a local fly shop in Lansing, MI, called The Troutpost, while in grad school at Michigan State. After being shown the basics if tying Wooly Buggers, streamers, nymphs, dries, and even how to spin deer hair, I decided there was no reason I couldn't make everything myself, even if it took some years of practice to make them look really good...but I began to have plenty of success with my own creations (mostly classic dries and streamers, still my favorites today) and decided to spend my money on materials and not flies.

Probably not much different than most other tiers in this site...

Jonathon

I do mine like this...

https://youtu.be/c-d-K8P4JGk tried to put that as click and play but didn't work. ?

If that doesn't work just youtube search "tying Michigan's best trout flies".

Just finally got that down a few years back before I saw this guys video above. That seems like the only way he ties dries.

I saw a guy make his final wraps and whip finished on the post last week for the first time. I'll give it a try but I'm pretty well practiced at my way. It took me a few years to get it down I avoided parachutes and generally just tied traditional Catskills. Parachutes just float so well and great for a dropper nymph.