ed and maodiver…those ties are at my web site in my signature.
the Parachute South Fork Salley is the same as the South Fork Salley except for the parachute. for the parachute i tie the post for the hackle, tie the tail and dub the body to immediately behind the post, tie in the wing behind the post, dub the thorax in a figure 8 around and under the post then finish close to the front of the post, tie in the hackle, wrap and tie off the hackle.
you’d be right about no bead. i fished dropoff’s a lot and that big bead got the bug down pretty good. on the other hand without the bead it did very well in the knee deep brown trout holding riffles on the madison.
one other thing i do is tie on 1x short, 1x stout hooks. that way it’s a size 16 on a size 14 hook etc., etc. bigger gap for hooking and heavier wire for big fish.
Hey Wes, I can see it now…you and your buddy are fishing along a stream and you come upon a fellow fisherman and he askes what you are fishing with. You look over to your fishing buddy and say “that Cross Dresser over there”…priceless!