Question,
Which of the two flies float better Comparadun or the Parachute? Which fies does everyone like better?
I’d say that because the parachute is a hackled fly, it would have better floatation. Of the two I prefer parachutes simply because I’m able to see them better on the water, especially if the post is tied with Hi-Vis or a similar product.
~Darryl
“If we carry purism to it’s logical conclusion, to do it right you’d have to live naked in a cave, hit your trout on the head with rocks, and eat them raw. But, so as not to violate another essential element of the fly-fishing tradition, the rocks would have to be quarried in England and cost $300 each.”
~John Gierach
Not trying to be nit-picking.
If, by ‘float better’, you mean stays afloat better, then I would have to say the parachute. On a parachute, the circular hackle, being parallel to the water, gives the fly more surface area.
As far as which I prefer, I don’t know.
Allan
Another vote for Parachutes.
By the way I tie mine with Hi-Viz and give them a dunk in liquid Mucilin and when it dries I brush on some Frog’s Fanny.
The other afternoon I was amazed when I pulled my parachute under the water’s surface and it popped right back up again!
Comparaduns,haystacks,usuals, etc. for me
Makes good emergers, no expensive hackle.
“Fishing is boring, unless you catch an actual fish, and then it is disgusting.”
Dave Barry
The Parachute will float better. Why pick one over the other? Let the fish tell you what they want to take. I carry both at all times during different hatches. I have found that at times the fish will prefer one over the other. So just have both on hand.
I also tie Compara-duns with two wraps of hanckle. One wrap behind the wing and one in front. I will then trim it to get the fly to set how I want it to. I have proven to myself that it can and does make a differecne at times. Fish get use to looking at the same thing all the time. Pays to be able to do things differently at times. Ron
Ron,
Without going back to the book Hatches, or maybe it was in the other Caucci book, Fly Tyer’s Color Chart, I believe that the original ‘comparadun’ had the typical comparadun wing AND a hackle collar. Guess I’ll have to check.
Allan
Parachutes generally float better,(slower, moderate flows) but the Haystack would probably float longer in heavier water. Like Ron said, carry 'em both.
Parachute Wing vs: Comparadun Wing.
Both the Parachute and Comparadun style fly, allow the body of the fly pattern to rest in the water surface, instead of above the water surface, as compared to traditional collared dry flies.
[img]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/pbwofly.jpg[/img]
Bluewing Olive Parachute
Parachute is hackle wrapped around a center post of material, so the hackles of the feather are lay flat on the water, outward from the center post. Best used on smooth water surfaces, such as calm pools.
[img]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/cdccdfly.jpg[/img]
Bluewing Olive CDC Comparadun
Comparadun Wing, animal body hair (usually deer or elk) or CDC, is secured to behind the eye of the hook, tip pointed forward. Thread is built up behind the eye, to elevate the hair into a fan-shape on the top portion of the hook, just behind the eye. Best used where the water surface is agitated, such as runs.
Both perform the same task of keep the fly afloat on the water surface, using different material, affixed by different tying techniques.
Both the Parachute and the Comparadun, deserve a place, in your fly box, along with the Traditional Collared Dry Flies. ~Parnelli
[This message has been edited by Steven H. McGarthwaite (edited 06 May 2006).]
Steven H. McGarthwaite,
Concerning which between parachutes and comparaduns to use in which type of water, Dave Hughes said the opposite to your statement.
According to him, different dry fly pattern styles can be used to fish different types of water. Catskill dries are the best for rough, running waters, comparaduns for still, placid waters, and parachutes for in-between.
I think both you and Dave should be right, and it would be interesting how each of you has reached the opposite conclusions.
Usually, I fish parachutes for running, ruffled waters. When I use them for spring creeks, parachute hackle wraps should be really sparse.
adso:
Parachute use a over size feather hackle for the parachute wrap around the center wing post. My thinking is that the feather would become easily waterlogged, is turbulent water conditions. While Elk or Deer hair, and CDC would remain water resistant, allowing the fly to retain its buoyancy, and continue to remain floating on the surface better. Similar to how a Elk Hair Caddis or other dry fly using Elk Hair is more of a bobber than a sinker. ~Parnelli
From my experience with both patterns, in various types of flows, I would have to agree with Steve. The compara-duns have held up much longer in the riffs than the parachutes. The parachutes have worked great in the slower flows. Undoubtedly due to the greater buyoncy of deer, elk, cdc etc.
You guy’s are beating a dead horse. They both work and work well. Carry both and use both.
I tie them with many different types of materials for the wing’s From feathers, elk, deer, Snowshoe Hares feet, CDC and on and on. They all work in any type of water. Some work better in faster water but they “All” will work in any type of water. Carry a lot of all pattern’s and be happy. 
I carry about 9 patterns of both styles in a Beatis alone. It pay’s to have a few different styles. Let the fish tell you what they want that day. It is a lot easier to carry a lot of patterns if you tie your own. 
You don’t need 10 of each size just 3 or 4 will do the trick most day’s. I tie 6 of each style and size and am usually in good shape.
From experence I know what I like and what will usually work. But at times the fish will give you a hard time that is were having a few different pattern’s will help you out. Ron
PS: Some are saying that the Compara-Dun’s will float better than the Parachute will. It all depends on how each fly is tied and with what material. If you tie a Parachute post with foam guess which will float the best? I think you folks get the idea.
[This message has been edited by RonMT (edited 08 May 2006).]
Yep, get the idea Ron.
Now you got dangerously close here…
“From experence I know what I like and what will usually work.”
Would you please give us one specific example?
Hi Steven,
What size is your Bluewing Olive Parachute?
Our local fish place said 16 or 18 is good. I can tie a fairly decent 14, but my 16 looks less than perfect. Forget about 18. I’d have to buy those if I wanted to use them.
Thanks
Diane
ducksterman- From experience I know that just about any evening it is not blowing on the Gallitan River in the summer time (Below Big Sky) you can catch fish and there will be a rise at 45 minutes or so before dark and even after dark. And you can catch all the fish you will need on a Parachute Adams with a white post in a size 18 or 20. I tie it with just grizzly hackle and no brown at all. The fish will be there and you can (On A good Evening) catch somewere around 12 or 15 fish.
I can also tell you that if you fish Depuy’s Spring Creek or Armstrong’s or even Nelson’s on an over cast rainy day you can catch fish with a size #20 Beatis Thorax. If the Baetis Thorax is not working then try the Parachute Adams like the one above and you should do just fine. That is the fly I used last week to catch my fish with. I can also tell you that if the sun comes out “GO Home” LOL. Ron
[This message has been edited by RonMT (edited 09 May 2006).]