Bodkin / Patterns

Quill Body Parachute

Dry Fly · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Standard dry fly (e.g. TMC 100), 14-18
  • Thread Dun or olive 8/0 (70 denier)

Materials

  • Microfibbets (tail) Dun microfibbets (4-6)
  • Stripped peacock quill (body) Natural peacock herl (1)
  • Poly yarn (post) White or hi-vis (1 tuft)
  • Dry hackle Grizzly or dun hackle (1 feather)

How to tie it

  1. Start thread behind the eye; at the 70% mark stand a white poly-yarn post upright and anchor it with thread wraps up its base and figure-8s at the shank.
  2. Run thread to the bend and tie in a few microfibbets, splayed, one shank length long.
  3. Bind a stripped, soaked peacock quill at the bend and wrap it forward in touching turns to just behind the post. Half the overlap you think, so the body stays slim; tie off.
  4. Tie in a dry hackle at the base of the post, then wind the working thread forward to just behind the eye.
  5. Wind the hackle 4-5 turns down the post from top to bottom, parachute-style, and lock it at the shank in front; stacking the wraps downward keeps them from tangling.
  6. Whip finish at the eye, passing under (not through) the parachute fibers, snip, and cement the head only.

Tying videos

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