Parachute material - curious if there are differences

[jifigz]

EP fibers.

EP fibers are way overpriced pre-brushed out Bonnie Craft cord. I am 99.999999999% certain of it. I am not knocking EP fibers, but if you buy a hank of Bonnie Craft cord and a brush to brush it out yourself, you can have many lifetime supplies of the stuff for about $5 a color.

 

[Bamboozle]

EP fibers are way overpriced pre-brushed out Bonnie Craft cord. I am 99.999999999% certain of it. I am not knocking EP fibers, but if you buy a hank of Bonnie Craft cord and a brush to brush it out yourself, you can have many lifetime supplies of the stuff for about $5 a color.

If you take a walk through a craft store or better yet, throght the fabric and supply houses in the Garment Center in NYC you will quickly come to the conclusion there is probably hardly any synthetic fly tying material that was created solely for fly tying.

However for me the problem is, what the heck am I going to do with six different colors of whatever in 100 yard skeins...?

For that reason, I'm happy to overpay for a couple of prepackaged & prepared fly shop bags of something I could buy elsewhere in bulk if only so I don't have to find a place to stash it or someone who is interested in some of the excess.

 

[EchoRidgeElder]

I am a polypro guy when it comes to wing post.

About 35 years ago, I purchased a dun colored polypro material from Orvis. It is almost gone and I have yet to find a suitable substitute. I continue to utilize other materials, tend to gravitate back to the Orvis material (sorry, can't recall the proper name of the stuff at the moment!)

 

[WV waver]

EP fibers are way overpriced pre-brushed out Bonnie Craft cord. I am 99.999999999% certain of it. I am not knocking EP fibers, but if you buy a hank of Bonnie Craft cord and a brush to brush it out yourself, you can have many lifetime supplies of the stuff for about $5 a color.

I have either read online or seen in a forum (not that it makes it true?) that the Enrico Puglisi fibers are a treated/waterproof form of the polypropylene fibers found in macramé cord. The crinkled nature of combed out macramé cord adds to its displacement though, I believe.

 

[nfrechet]

However for me the problem is, what the heck am I going to do with six different colors of whatever in 100 yard skeins...?

For that reason, I'm happy to overpay for a couple of prepackaged & prepared fly shop bags of something I could buy elsewhere in bulk if only so I don't have to find a place to stash it or someone who is interested in some of the excess.

i totally agree

i use hi vis antron yarn

one package of white has lasted me probably 25+ years

i too don't mind paying fly shop prices for a package vs craft store skeins i'll never use up with my time left on earth

 

[Dr.J 1952]

I’ve been using Parapost Wing from Hareline for as long as I can remember. It’s some kind of Antron yarn treated with watershed. Comes in several colors. I mainly use dun, gray, white and orange. I use the dun on my BWOs and sulphur patterns.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

I mainly use dun, gray, white and orange. I use the dun on my BWOs and sulphur patterns.

This brings to mind an interesting question: does parachute post color matter to the fish? My initial inclination is to match the natural (ie, dun on BOWs and Sulphurs). However, I'm fairly sure the hackle obscures the post from a trout's view. This should be even more true in low light conditions. If this is correct, a post that's most visible to the angler would aid in strike detection and reduce missed fish.

Thoughts?

 

[salmo]

I agree. Post material is for the fishermen not the fish to see.

 

[jifigz]

However for me the problem is, what the heck am I going to do with six different colors of whatever in 100 yard skeins...?

Well, you could start doing macrame......

 

[Fly-Swatter]

Well, you could start doing macrame......

It's supposed to be quite relaxing....or was that needlepoint? 😉

 

[Bamboozle]

This brings to mind an interesting question: does parachute post color matter to the fish? My initial inclination is to match the natural (ie, dun on BOWs and Sulphurs). However, I'm fairly sure the hackle obscures the post from a trout's view. This should be even more true in low light conditions. If this is correct, a post that's most visible to the angler would aid in strike detection and reduce missed fish.

Thoughts?

I KNOW that the post color doesn't matter to the fish, at least I believe that is the case and I'm sure there are more than a few folks fishing pink post "whatever's" that would catch as many or more fish than me on my appropriately colored post parachutes...

However, the post color of every parachute I tie & fish matches the natural. Based on where I fish that means most often the post is a shade of gray, tan or in the case of the parachute "Coffin Flies" I make, a mixture of white, black & light olive.

I also feel seeing my fly "on the water" is overrated. As someone who fishes a ton of really tiny flies, including stuff that is super small and totally black, the most important thing for ME is knowing where my fly landed and judging the current flow (though earlier observation) so I THINK I know where my fly is when I see a rise.

If all things line up, when I see that rise, I just tighten up and BINGO.

 

[salmo]

I KNOW that the post color doesn't matter to the fish, at least I believe that is the case and I'm sure there are more than a few folks fishing pink post "whatever's" that would catch as many or more fish than me on my appropriately colored post parachutes...

However, the post color of every parachute I tie & fish matches the natural. Based on where I fish that means most often the post is a shade of gray, tan or in the case of the parachute "Coffin Flies" I make, a mixture of white, black & light olive.

I also feel seeing my fly "on the water" is overrated. As someone who fishes a ton of really tiny flies, including stuff that is super small and totally black, the most important thing for ME is knowing where my fly landed and judging the current flow (though earlier observation) so I THINK I know where my fly is when I see a rise.

If all things line up, when I see that rise, I just tighten up and BINGO.

I wish that I was able to do the same but I’m not. Kudos to those who do.

 

[salmo]

BYW I use Bonnie Cord for wings on lots of flies, particularly on Caddis flies in combination with CDC. They float a long time. Or you can do what I do and give it away for the cost of postage?

 

[Fly-Swatter]

I also feel seeing my fly "on the water" is overrated. As someone who fishes a ton of really tiny flies, including stuff that is super small and totally black, the most important thing for ME is knowing where my fly landed and judging the current flow (though earlier observation) so I THINK I know where my fly is when I see a rise.

If all things line up, when I see that rise, I just tighten up and BINGO.

Yep, I agree and do this, too. Certainly, bright posts are no cure-all. Maybe they are a crutch. I don't love their aesthetics. I guess my compromise is a white post, although I don't always do that.

 

[Kms]

i use hi vis antron yarn

Isn’t Antron acrylic, i.e., not bouyant?

 

[tpn]

Antron. If I am using two colors I tie it down on top of the shank and pull up both sides to form the post.

EP Fibers or Poly. If I'm using either of these for some reason i tie it down parallel with the shank, trim the back part off and tie the part on the eye side up by itself to make the post.

Not sure why but ADHD or OCD or something has to do with it. All work great

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

I agree. Post material is for the fishermen not the fish to see.

Didn't Marinaro say something like this? I recall someone saying that at most, a parachute only adds a wing profile/shadow to a floating fly and the trout don't care what color it is.