Foam Post parachutes

wayne32pa

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Joined
Jan 2, 2008
Messages
100
I'm trying to up a few foam post parachute dries, and I was wondering if anyone has any tips on tying in the post?

Wayne32pa
 
I just tie it with the bottom of the foam strip along the shank toward the hook point and then use some dubbing tight against the front of the post to hold it upright. The portion of the post pointing back to the hook point is covered with thread and helps form a natural taper toward the thorax. I tie the post tall until I get the hackle wrapped and secure and then trim it back closer to the shaft to cut down wind resistence on the cast. Keeping it longer at first helps in wrapping the hackle, I think.

If your foam post is thick enough, you can cut it at the bottom so you can tie half down to the shank in front and half in the back and it will stand upright without using a dubbing support.
 
I only tie foam parachutes on flies size 18 and smaller, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

I use the cristo midge style, and mostly use a thread body. I use a thread dam to hold it up and I also use foam sheets cut into strips. I don't like the preformed foam post. I also use head cement to secure the hackle after wraped and post trimmed (this is the only time I cement the hackle on a parachute)

But Jack is right about cutting the post to size after the fly is finished. On a cristo midge there is very little post left.

He also has a really good suggestion about cutting the post in half and sitting it on the shank.
 
Just lash the foam to the hook shank pointing towards the rear of the hook. Start with light tension wraps and increase the tension to compress the foam. Too much tension at the onset will cut the foam. Like others have said, you can trim the post when you finished, if needed.
 
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