Favorite Parachute wing post material?

[Dawgvet]

I fish the ubiquitous Parachute Adams alot and just wondering what everyone's favorite wing post material was. My major concern is visibility in our dark, overgrown mountain streams. I have been using calf body hair dyed yellow recently with good success. I find that I can pick it out of the glare and foam better than white calf body hair. I've tried Z-lon but found it too be less visible. Also used calf tail but it was harder to stack neatly. What do you all use?
Thanks
Jedidiah

[tennswede]

polypropylene jarn I think that's the proper name. I need to try a different color than white though, based on your statement.

[silvercreek]

I use a variety of materials depending on the style of the fly, but I would suggest you try turkey flats for smaller parachute flies. It ties in without much bulk. Silvercreek

[DarrinG]

Flo. Orange poly yarn for my posts on parachute flies.
I've tried yellow, white and hot pink and for my eyesight, I can pick out the Flo. Orange color better than the rest. Plus, poly yarn is easy to work with and floats like a cork.

[MadisonBoats]

Originally Posted by DarrinG

Flo. Orange poly yarn for my posts on parachute flies.
I've tried yellow, white and hot pink and for my eyesight, I can pick out the Flo. Orange color better than the rest. Plus, poly yarn is easy to work with and floats like a cork.

That is the way to go if you are worried about visibility. It works great and has a variety of colors. You can cut V-shaped patterns along the shank to create realistic wings if you want...I think this set-up works just fine and I apply Frog Powder every so often for proper presentation - KEY

[DarrinG]

Fumed Silica works, but before a parachute fly ever touches water, a dab of Gink rubbed into the post and hackle and I never have to worry about any further floating problems all day. The poly yarn in itself floats well, but a little silicone (Gink or similar) rubbed into it makes it super-bouyant, even in heavy plunge pools, etc. I like fumed silica (aka: Frogs Fanny) for flies with CDC but hate the stuff for hackled dry flies. I always get a nose full of that stuff and my hands dry out and start cracking...

[MadisonBoats]

Originally Posted by DarrinG

Fumed Silica works, but before a parachute fly ever touches water, a dab of Gink rubbed into the post and hackle and I never have to worry about any further floating problems all day. The poly yarn in itself floats well, but a little silicone (Gink or similar) rubbed into it makes it super-bouyant, even in heavy plunge pools, etc. I like fumed silica (aka: Frogs Fanny) for flies with CDC but hate the stuff for hackled dry flies. I always get a nose full of that stuff and my hands dry out and start cracking...

I use Gink floatant to start and add Frogs Fanny continually when the fly is not presenting correctly...Works great for me and I know my friend Mihai on this board would agree. He is the one that showed it to me.

[flyman]

I use yarn and foam cylinders more than anything else. I still use calf tail for some patterns, but not many. Foam and yarn are just too easy to work with. Poly makes good post, but there a couple newer products that I think might be a little bit better. HI VIS and Para Post are both water proof and easy to see, and come in a wide range of colors. The HI VIS has some sparkle to it that really makes it easy to see. Darrin is right about using some other colors. Sometimes white is fine, other times yellow or even black is easier to see.




This is a Light Cahill pattern with a foam post I did for the LRO Journal. If you don't subscribe you won't be able to see it, or you can go to the archives page and sign up for the email letter and then you will be able to see it, I think. Wish I still had the original photos, but they went to cyberspace along with about 500 others when a stray bullet hit my computer

http://littleriveroutfitters.com/lit...ssue/index.htm

[MadisonBoats]

Originally Posted by flyman

I use yarn and foam cylinders more than anything else. I still use calf tail for some patterns, but not many. Foam and yarn are just too easy to work with. Poly makes good post, but there a couple newer products that I think might be a little bit better. HI VIS and Para Post are both water proof and easy to see, and come in a wide range of colors. The HI VIS has some sparkle to it that really makes it easy to see. Darrin is right about using some other colors. Sometimes white is fine, other times yellow or even black is easier to see.
This is a Light Cahill pattern with a foam post I did for the LRO Journal. If you don't subscribe you won't be able to see it, or you can go to the archives page and sign up for the email letter and then you will be able to see it, I think. Wish I still had the original photos, but they went to cyberspace along with about 500 others when a stray bullet hit my computer

http://littleriveroutfitters.com/lit...ssue/index.htm

Excellent looking flies and thanks for sharing bud!

[kentuckytroutbum]

I like the poly yarn in bright colors, or calf tail as a post. The color white seems to get lost in the sunlight reflecting off of the water. I've tried the foam, and found it was difficult for me to tie in the foam. The foam post required a lot of thread to get to stay upright, and it also made the thorax area very thick, and out of proportion with the fly.

Bill