Parachute Hare's Ear

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The Parachute Adams is perhaps the most versatile and effective dry fly pattern ever designed. A variation of the classic Adams, this parachute version incorporates a highly visible wing post and horizontally wrapped hackle, allowing it to land softly and sit flush in the surface film, perfectly imitating a crippled or spent mayfly. The gray body and mixed hackle (grizzly and brown) suggest a wide variety of natural insects.

Hook

Standard Dry Fly (Tiemco 100 or equivalent), Size 14

Thread

8/0 or 70 Denier, Gray or Black

Wing Post

White Para-Post or White Calf Body Hair

Tail

Mixed Grizzly and Brown Hackle Fibers

Body

Gray Fly-Rite Dubbing or Gray Super Fine Dubbing

Hackle

One Grizzly and One Brown Dry Fly Hackle, sized for a 14

The Post

Start the thread behind the hook eye and secure the wing post material (Para-Post) vertically, slightly behind the eye.

Secure Hackle

Select two high-quality hackles (one grizzly, one brown). Strip the fibers from the butt ends and tie them in, base first, against the front of the post. Wrap the thread securely around the base of the post to create a small "hub" and build a small, neat thread dam to support the hackle.

Tail

Move the thread to the bend of the hook and tie in the mixed tail fibers. The tail should be approximately the length of the hook shank.

Body

Dub the gray body forward, stopping just behind the post.

Parachute Hackle

Take the two hackles and wrap them *horizontally* around the base of the post, making 4–5 wraps *below* the previous wrap. Secure the tips of the hackle with a few tight thread wraps against the post, then whip finish and cut the excess hackle tips.

Finish

Apply a small drop of head cement to the thread wraps at the base of the post.

Details

Imitates

Mayfly

Targets

Trout, Grayling

Hook size

12-16

Colors

Grey, Brown, White, Tan