Parachute posts

[Gringo]

Gentlemen - thanks you all so much for your ideas. I know the solution is out there, and it may be poly yarn!

I have in my little kit some Neer hair, Z lon and Hi Vis but am not satisfied with any of these as post material. I am finding that after tying there are always a constant stream of little pulled strands requiring trimming, sometimes pulled out by other hooks while in the box. I wonder if Poly yarn is any better?

I have tried all the other methods too, except the calf body hair. We cannot import calf products into Australia so it is about the only thing I have trouble getting, despite the millions of the little suckers wandering our country, or the two hundred I am looking at out the window right now. (I wonder where I could find some... )

My best results have been with that carpet fibre stuff I mentioned, or by sticking with the traditional deer hair stuff. Neither of these gives me visible colors for fast water though, and the other methods are more on the "fiddly" side for my liking.

[Uncle Barry]

Good evening Mr Gringo.
What part of Australia are you living in ?
Because in the north, in the State of Queensland its beautiful, now at 8.55pm as I write this I am still without shoes on and am in shorts and a tee shite.
It is now a soft beautful 19degrees C.
Your really must move away from the South Pole and enjoy life more .

Posts,
there is only one way in my thoughts and that is Antron yarn.
which, of course takes a waterproof marker pen nicely, if you wish to change colour from almost lumo white.

ok, we sell it and I will steal a wee little bit...only a wee bit, thats all and forward the sample to you.

Kind regards,
Your ever caring Uncle
UB

[Gringo]

Dear Uncle Bazza

You know where I live... I too am in T shirt, but only because I am in front of a roaring fire by my tying desk. As for moving, I need to stay close to Mr. Trout. It is cold and wet, yes, wet at last, but not wet enough. Thinking of "cold," I am planning my next trip to Tasmania, I want to backpack (ugh!) into Lake Ada area, but first a trip to Penstock... wanna join me?

The seals fur is going great thanks - I don't know why I ever tried to use anything else.

Now do you sell calf body hair?

Your loving nephew.

[coonriverdog]

I use Turkey flats or T-base feathers, either one works well for me.

[LouT]

Try the calfs hair again, but this time comb out both ends THROUGHLY. Then stack. Place the hair tips toward the barb end of the hook. Cut post to size. This technique gives a great tapered abdomen.

I also use the aforementioned material in previous posts.

[Buddy Sanders]

Gringo,

I know it sounds like sacriledge, but I use the poly yarn for most of my 'parachute' flies, as well as wings on almost all of the dry flies I tie (don't use any wings at all on conventional dry flies size 16 and smaller-no need), regardless of style.

Those little 'strands' as you put it, are there on this as well. I just don't think they need to be trimmed. Actually, the 'messier' the better. I've been purposely storing these flies upside down under a bit of pressure to get the parachute 'wing' (it's just there so we can see the fly) to look more like a mushroom and less like something sticking straight up. I can see that better. The trout certainly don't care.

Buddy

[Flyguy5910]

one of the best materials you can use is mcfly foam, it comes in a ton of colors and you can make it as big or as small as you want and when treated floats forever

[Uncle Barry]

Good evening All.
The loving nephew Gringo, (won't go fishing with him after dark !...loving ?)

Suggested on another thread,
Something about a idea or way of doing something..hey, this might get a bit deep with him and all that boy loving stuff.... its a real worry.

Well,
Something I do BUT it seems most others do not.

When tying a hackle around a post,
I turn the hook on its side in the vise,,,

no Nephew Gringo, its not a vice, how many times must I tell you ?

This turning action, the hook/fly body around 90 degrees to the side allows me to see the hackle clearly in its position on the post and then as a bonus the tying off of the hackle is super easy.

This extremely simple move makes Parachute type flies super easy to tie !

I also tie a few size 20's... with a post (Rick ..
And it makes a real difference how the end product finishes.

Trust I have helped and not confused ?
Kind regards,
UB
PS, dear nephew, your early Christmas present has been sent, it is only a sample.

[Eric-WD]

Hmmmmm now I have to figure a jig to hold my vise, (it is also a vice by the way) on its side.

Great Idea

Eric

[Eight Thumbs]

I use both Antron and poly for my posts but mostly Antron because I like the shiny effect that it has in the light. I agree completely about natural hair; its a pain the buttock to work with, why bother? 8T