Parachute Patterns

The parachute dry fly is one of the most useful patterns available to the angler for almost any type of water scenario. First tied commercially in Scotland in the 1920’s there is no real record of who first invented the concept. We do know that in 1931, William Brush of Detroit, Michigan applied for a design patent that related to a post on the hook to tie the parachute hackle.

Much of creating the perfect mayfly imitation is all about the surface film of the water. The body of a parachute dry fly pattern is suspended in the surface film along with the perpendicular hackle collar that is splayed out all around the body. This image indented in the meniscus layer of the water can represent a mayfly in a number of different ways; as an emerger caught in the surface film, as a spinner lying dead or drowning, as a mayfly that was unable to hatch known as a cripple or stillborn and last as a female depositing her eggs in the water.

Parachute hackles float very well making these patterns a good choice for fishing rough water. Any mayfly dun pattern can be tied parachute style by simply adding a post of calf tail or turkey flat and winding the specified hackle around the post.


Adams Parachute Dun Pattern Recipe:
Hook- TMC100 12-26, Thread- Gray 6/0, Tail- Grizzly and brown hackle barbs, Body- Dubbed muskrat fur, Wing- Upright white calf tail, Hackle- Grizzly and brown wrapped parachute style.

Adams Female Parachute Dun Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 12-26, Thread- Gray 6/0, Tail- Grizzly and brown hackle barbs, Egg Sac- Yellow dyed fur or Antron dubbing, Body- Dubbed muskrat fur, Wing- Upright white calf tail, Hackle- Grizzly and brown wrapped parachute style.

Adams Hi Viz Parachute Dun Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 12-26, Thread- Gray 6/0, Tail- Grizzly and brown hackle barbs, Body- Dubbed muskrat fur, Wing- Upright dyed fluorescent orange calf tail, Hackle- Grizzly and brown wrapped parachute style.

Biot Gordon Parachute Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 sizes 12-16, Thread- Tan 6/0 Nylon, Tail- Dark blue dun hackle barbs, Wing post- Dense white turkey T-base feather segment, Body- Dun dyed wild turkey biot, Hackle- Dark blue dun wrapped parachute style. Pattern Designer: A.K. Best

Blue Winged Olive Parachute Dun Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 size 14-24, Thread- Yellow 6/0, Hackle- Blue dun wrapped parachute style, Wing- Upright white calf tail, Body- Lime green floss, Tail- Blue dun hackle barbs.

Brown Paradrake Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 size 10-12, Thread- Black 6/0, Hackle- Light Brown wrapped parachute style around the upright wing, Wing- Natural elk hair stacked and tied upright in tight column, Head- Bullet style natural tan elk hair tied to also form body, Body- Tightly wound natural elk hair with leader core, body extends past the bend by a little more than half the shank, Ribbing- Cross wrapped brown thread up and down the entire body, Tail- Natural dark moose hair.

Callibaetis Quill Parachute Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 sizes 14-16, Thread- Gray 6/0 Nylon, Tail- Light medium blue dun hackle barbs, Wing post- Dense white turkey T-base feather segment, Body- Light medium blue dyed hackle stems, Hackle- Light grizzly wrapped parachute style. Pattern Designer: A.K. Best

Eastern March Brown Biot Parachute Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 sizes 12-14, Thread- Tan 6/0 Nylon, Tail- Dark ginger hackle barbs, Wing post- Dense white turkey T-base feather segment, Body- Wood duck dyed wild turkey biot, Hackle- Medium ginger and light grizzly mixed and wrapped parachute style. Pattern Designer: A.K. Best

Green Drake Quill Parachute Pattern Recipe: Hook- Dai-Riki 300 sizes 10-12, Thread- Green 3/0 Monocord, Dark elk hair, Wing post- Dense white turkey T-base feather segment, Rib- Brown single strand floss, Body- Tannish Olive dyed fur dubbing, Hackle- Medium blue dun and Olive dyed grizzly mixed and wrapped parachute style. Pattern Designer: A.K. Best

Green Paradrake Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 size 10-12, Thread- Olive 6/0, Hackle- Olive wrapped parachute style around the upright wing, Wing- Dyed olive elk hair stacked and tied upright in tight column, Head- Bullet style dyed olive elk hair tied to also form body, Body- Tightly wound natural elk hair with leader core, body extends past the bend by a little more than half the shank, Ribbing- Cross wrapped Olive thread up and down the entire body, Tail- Natural dark moose hair.

Gulper Special ( Olive Color Scheme) Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 size16-22, Thread- Olive 6/0, Hackle- Grizzly tied parachute style, Wing- White poly yarn tied upright in a straight column, Body- Olive dubbing, Tail- Grizzly hackle barbs.

Hendrickson Biot Parachute Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 sizes 12-16, Thread- Tan 6/0 Nylon, Tail- Dark blue dun hackle barbs, Wing post- Dense white turkey T-base feather segment, Body- Dun dyed wild turkey biot, Hackle- Dark blue dun wrapped parachute style. Pattern Designer: A.K. Best

Hexagena Limbata Dun Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 size 6, Thread- Yellow 6/0, Hackle- Dyed yellow grizzly, Wing- Dyed gray elk hair, Body- Tightly wrapped elk hair extended past the bend by a little over one half the hook shank, Ribbing- Yellow thread cross hatched down entire length, Tail- Yellow elk hair tied separated in Y fashion.

Headlight Caddis Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 size 12-16, Thread- Yellow 6/0, Hackle- Blue dun wrapped parachute style, Wing- Upright white calf tail, Body- Lime green floss, Tail- Blue dun hackle barbs.

Headlight Sally Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 size 14-16, Thread- Yellow 6/0, Hackle- Light Ginger wrapped parachute style, Wing- Upright white calf tail, Body- Light Yellow Floss, Butt- Red permanent marker, Tail- Ginger hackle barbs, Wing- Yellow Deer Hair.

Light Cahill Quill Parachute Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 sizes 14-18, Thread- Yellow 6/0 Nylon, Tail- Light ginger hackle barbs, Wing post- Dense white turkey T-base feather segment, Body- Yellow dyed hackle stems, Hackle- Light ginger wrapped parachute style. Pattern Designer: A.K. Best

Loco Hexagena Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC5212 size 6, Thread- Yellow 6/0, Wing- Natural gray Elk hair, Tail- Natural gray and dyed yellow elk hair fibers, Rib, Yellow thread criss-crossed over body, Body- yellow Elk Hair extended over hook shank, Hackle- Light ginger.

Olive Quill Parachute Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 sizes 14-22, Thread- Olive 6/0 Nylon, Tail- Six to twelve (depending on hook size) medium blue dun hackle barbs, Wing post- Dense white turkey T-base feather segment, Body- Olive dyed hackle stems, Hackle- Medium blue dun wrapped parachute style. Pattern Designer: A.K. Best

Pale Morning Quill Parachute Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 sizes 14-18, Thread- Beige 6/0 Nylon, Tail- Medium ginger hackle barbs, Wing post- Dense white turkey T-base feather segment, Body- Tannish Olive dyed hackle stems, Hackle- Medium ginger wrapped parachute style. Pattern Designer: A.K. Best

Parachute Hopper (Olive Color Scheme) Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC5212 sizes 8-14, Thread- Olive 6/0, Parachute Post- Natural white calf tail tied upright, Rib- Dark brown floss, Abdomen- Medium olive Antron dubbing, Tentwing- Mottled oak turkey quill section tied in tent style, Legs- Pheasant tail fibers knotted at joint, Hackle- Grizzly wrapped parachute style, Thorax- Medium olive Sparkle Blend dubbing. Pattern Designer: Ed Schroeder

Parachute Hopper (Tan Color Scheme) Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC5212 sizes 8-14, Thread- Cream 6/0, Parachute Post- Natural white calf tail tied upright, Rib- Dark brown floss, Abdomen- Golden tan Antron dubbing, Tentwing- Mottled oak turkey quill section tied in tent style, Legs- Pheasant tail fibers knotted at joint, Hackle- Grizzly wrapped parachute style, Thorax- Golden tan Sparkle Blend dubbing. Pattern Designer: Ed Schroeder

Parachute Hopper (Yellow Color Scheme) Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC5212 sizes 8-14, Thread- Yellow 6/0, Parachute Post- Dyed yellow calf tail tied upright, Rib- Yellow four strand nylon, Abdomen- Yellow Antron dubbing, Tentwing- Mottled oak turkey quill section tied in tent style, Legs- Pheasant tail fibers knotted at joint, Hackle- Grizzly wrapped parachute style, Thorax- Yellow Sparkle Blend dubbing. Pattern Designer: Ed Schroeder

ParaWulff (Adams Color Scheme) Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 sizes 10-18, Thread- Gray 6/0, Hackle- Grizzly and brown mixed wrapped parachute style, Wings- White calf tail tied upright and separated into two slightly outward angled posts, Body- Dubbed muskrat fur, Tail- Grizzly and brown hackle barbs mixed.

ParaEmerger Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC2487 or TMC2488 sizes12-18, Thread- Dark Olive 6/0, Tail Z-Lon color of choice, Abdomen- Olive Brown Dubbing, Wing- Closed cell foam, Hackle- Medium Dun Rooster Hackle, Indicator- Dollop Puffy Fabric Paint.

Trico Quill Parachute Pattern Recipe: Hook- TMC100 sizes 18-24, Thread- White and black Uni-Thread 8/0, Tail- Four to Five (depending on hook size) White hackle barbs, Wing post- Dense white turkey T-base feather segment, Body- Pale green dyed hackle stems, Hackle- Black wrapped parachute style. Pattern Designer: A.K. Best