Parachutes -- how many wraps?

[zOnk 0]

I was tying some sulfur still borns and gray drake parachutes this week. Water has been high, fast and stained like coffee.

 

I've been wrapping the hackle on the thick side -- 10ish wraps.

 

I rarely fish dries so wondering what others think about the number of wraps. Any disadvantage to having it thick and bushy?

 

I gauge by store flies but I know they wrap as sparse as possible to save on material.

 

 

[nick2011 0]

I usually wrap 5-6 times, the only problem you might run into is the more wraps you make the more water the fly may start to hold causing it to sink after a short time

[Jaydub 0]

I honestly haven't counted, but 5 wraps seems about right for the average parachute. The danger of too many wraps is that it will stop looking like a dainty Mayfly.

[RickZieger 0]

I think it depends on the hook size. On size 14 I use about 6 wraps.

For smaller flies decrease a wrap on each of the next size.

For larger flies add a wrap for every two size.

Just my rule of thumb

 

Rick

[Piker20 0]

I agree, hook size is the guide. A small hook with loads of wraps just looks too heavy. Size 14 I agree 5 about average.

[Simon Lidster 0]

Depends also on the width of the post. A very thin post will need more wraps to get the same number of hackle fibres as a thicker one.

 

Simon

[tctrout 0]

I was tying some sulfur still borns and gray drake parachutes this week. Water has been high, fast and stained like coffee.

 

I've been wrapping the hackle on the thick side -- 10ish wraps.

 

I rarely fish dries so wondering what others think about the number of wraps. Any disadvantage to having it thick and bushy?

 

I gauge by store flies but I know they wrap as sparse as possible to save on material.

 

Hope this helps:

 

 

TC

[cheech 0]

It really depends on the fly and on the hackle that you are using. If I'm tying attractors made for riffles and rough water, I'll hackle it really thick; but if I'm tying a mayfly made for calm water and picky fish, I'll use fewer wraps.

 

Hackle grade is the most important thing with parachutes. The higher the hackle grade, the higher the barb count. For example, you could get very similar results with 3 wraps of Whiting platinum hackle as you would get with 4 or 5 wraps of pro-grade. The vintage of the hackle matters too. If you have a gold neck from 15 years ago, it won't be even close to the same quality of a gold that is produced today.

 

My rule with parachutes is to wrap until it looks right. There is no prescribed number of wraps that is universal.

 

Curtis did a video a while back about a very simple way to tie off parachutes.

 

 

[flytire 0]

My rule with parachutes is to wrap until it looks right. There is no prescribed number of wraps that is universal.

 

well said

 

use how many wraps of hackle that looks good to YOU, not somebody else

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

as long as you have enough wraps to float the fly you have enough and if your using foam for the post you can use less hackle to just put a foot print

[Bruce Derington 0]

Yeah, agree with flytire, Its what looks right, I will add , when the hackle fibers start to "kickup" I unwrap 1/2 wrap and tie off.