zelon wings

[GenCon]

I have used zelon for parachute post and small comparaduns in the past and it works very well. Then a few weeks ago while at the tying jam. I was listening to Mike " frequent tyer" talking about the importance of wings on dry flys and how it is the first thing a trout sees as a fly is drifting down steam is the wings. It got me thinking about parachute's. I know there is ways to do a split wings on a parachute. But I have always found them to be a pain. Zelon is very easy to work with. So I started playing around with it. When I tie emergers or sparkle duns anything with a trailing shuck I tie the zelon on in a small loop. I just think it looks more natural. So why not do a loop wing on a dry. This is a size 16 BWO. I have a ways to go to perfect it but I like it. What do you folks think?

GenCon

 

[dryflyguy]

Looks fine to me.
I'll bet it catches fish

 

[LeTortAngler2]

Creative, very nice tie. I also use Zelon sometimes for my wings on midges and shucks as well.

 

[CRB]

They look good.

 

[dc410]

That's a great idea, Mike. It should definitely help to achieve the wings in the "cone of vision" of the trout that Mike was talking about at the Jam as well as that great "riding in the film" look from underneath that you get with the parachute style tie. Could be a great combination. Good luck with it!

 

[GenCon]

Thanks guys. Will have to give them a try. You know the true test.

GenCon

 

[GenCon]

dc410 wrote:
That's a great idea, Mike. It should definitely help to achieve the wings in the "cone of vision" of the trout that Mike was talking about at the Jam as well as that great "riding in the film" look from underneath that you get with the parachute style tie. Could be a great combination. Good luck with it!

Thanks John, thats what I was going for. I think they will work in small sizes. 16 and down. I don't know how the wings would hold up if they were larger.

GenCon

 

[lv2nymph]

dryflyguy wrote:
Looks fine to me.
I'll bet it catches fish

That was my thought as well, nice job Mike. You get one of those little sticky gold stars for this. :-D

 

[BREECHESANGLER]

Really good fly. You'll get some on them. I like using Zelon on midges too.

 

[tctrout]

I like the look of wings as a strong profile, and am sure many of you have read Marinaro's "In the Ring of the Rise." This book discusses thoughts around the entire process of a trout eating a dry fly, especially related to Vince's thoughts regarding a trout's "cone of vision" and the impact wings have on flies.

Though some of the research is far from definitive, this is still easily one of my favorite books of all time. A great read for all...

TC

 

[blueheron]

I use zelon for small, 18 and up, caddis as a substitute for a deer hair wing. I'm not sure you need to split the wing on a parachute dry, even when I tie a hentip wing I usually go for the sailboat look and don't have much seperation and with a parachute I cut it on a bevel to imitate the shape.

 

[GenCon]

blueheron wrote:
I use zelon for small, 18 and up, caddis as a substitute for a deer hair wing. I'm not sure you need to split the wing on a parachute dry, even when I tie a hentip wing I usually go for the sailboat look and don't have much seperation and with a parachute I cut it on a bevel to imitate the shape.

I am sure you don't need it. But it looks good and is fun to do. And as I mentioned as did TC. It is about what a trout sees or what we think it sees. So why not give it a try. I do have a way with making simple things difficult. But that's not likely to change LOL.

GenCon

 

[FrequentTyer]

Its a nice fly Mike, and nicely tied. To Chris' point, the only reason we "need" to split the wing is to help the fly land properly. The naturals, as you all know, almost always have their wings tented. I have not fished parachutes in a while, but I don't recall any issue with the way the fly landed, so the single post works fine. On the other hand, split wings certainly catch fish, so no harm either way. I like the way they look and want to try tying a few myself for the fun of it.
Mike.

 

[blueheron]

It's always a possibility that I am wrong, but I think a dun's wing when upright is oriented very close together, hence my sailboat reference. My spinners wings are horizontal, my dun wings of whatever type( hen, woodduck, yarn) are nearly vertical and tied a bit higher than convention dictates. I' m sure they all fall over after landing anyway.LOL GC, it's all fun.