PARACHUTE WING


Popular parachute wing materials are calf tail or body hair, deer hair, elk hair, turkey flats and assorted synthetic yarn. All materials can be obtained in various colors suited for the particular pattern. If you are using hair, the fly looks better if you have the tips even. See Stacking Hair for details. With turkey flats, just cut out a section of feather that has even tips and fold into a bundle keeping the tips even. See Tukey Flat Prep. As in all of fly tying, biggest mistake is TOO MUCH MATERIAL. For fishermen with ailing eye sight, just tie all your parachutes with white, or other bright colors.

1) Make sure thread is hanging at 4/5ths hook shank length. While holding wing material with left hand by the butts and tips even with eye of hook, measure wing material against hook shank. Wing length should equal hook shank length.

Note wing tie in point "A" on wing base.

See Fly Proportion for more info.
2) Angle wing downward against your side of hook shank so that wing tie in point"A" intersects at the 4/5ths length on hook shank. That is why we left thread hanging there. Makes it easier to locate.
3) Make loose wrap with thread over wing material and hook shank.
4)Tighten thread down and towards you with heavy thread tension.
5)This will roll wing material on top of hook shank using thread torque. Maintain a firm grasp of wing butts with left hand.
6) Make 8 or 9 tight wraps toward rear of hook while letting wing butts slowly slip out of left hand. Wraps should be side by side with no any wing material showing between. Do not make wraps on top of previous wraps. This will only build up thread and create a thick body.
7) Using 2 or 3 wraps, bring thread to wing base. Then trim wing butts close to last rear thread wraps.
8) Grab wing tips with left hand and hold wing up.
9) Using many wraps of thread, build a thread dam to prop up wing.
10) Wing should stand up perpendicular to hook shank.
11) Bring thread around to back of wing.
12) Bring thread around farside of wing to front using light to medium thread pressure. Thread pressure should not alter wing angle.
13) Bring thread back to rear of wing making a complete turn around wing.
14) Bring thread down farside of hook shank.
15) Grasp wing material in left hand and pull down hard on thread. This sets and consolidates wing material.
16) Bring thread up nearside of hook shank and behind wing. Use medium thread tension like before.

 
17) Bring thread around farside of wing base to hook eye.
18) Start another thread wrap around wing base. This thread wrap should be right above previous thread wrap with no gaps or spaces. Still use medium tension.
19) Complete one thread wrap.
20) Hold wing with left hand then tighten thread.
21) Repeat steps 18 to 20 moving up wing base till you reach about 1/8" or less for a size 12 fly and less for smaller flies.
22) Start wrapping thread back down thread base. Blue will be used for thread in illustration to contrast against previous wraps.
23) Wraps should be spaced as you go down. Use heavy thread tension, grasp wing and tighten between wraps if wing angle is altered.
24) After only two wraps, you should be down to the base of the wing.

 
25) Bring thread down farside of hook shank.
26) Palmer thread to behind wing material butts. Leave thread hanging there.

You are now ready to:

Tie in Hackle Barb Tail

BWO Parachute

HOMEPAGE