Deer Hair techniques, Fly Fishing, Fly Tying, Fly tying materials and tools Reviews, Step by Step

Fender Parachute

My good friends hunting dog, Fender and just one of the many animals and huge amounts of materials he secures for my fly tying every year.
Fender secures more meat wrapped in materials for the winter.

This is a quick and simple parachute technique that requires only deer hair and Bug Bond.

Hook: Mustad C49

Tying thread: Dyneema

Body: Moose mane hair

Hackle: Roe deer hair and Bug Bond

Thorax: Underfur from deer or moose winter coat.

1.
Secure your emerger hook in the vice with as much of the bend clear of the jaws.
2.
Run your tying thread from just behind the hook eye down deep into the bend.
3.
Select some long Moose mane hairs.
4.
You will need two long hairs from the moose mane, one white and one black.
5.
Tie in the moose hairs by the points at the base of the hook bend.
6.
Build up a slight forward taper on the fly body with tying thread.
7.
Take both hair at once, with the black hair at the bottom and begin to wind on in even tight turns.
8.
Continue over the whole hook shank until you come to the thorax. Tie off.
9.
Trim off the surplus hair and tie down ends. Although these moose mane hairs are remarkably strong you can give the body a coat with Bug Bond.
10.
Cut and stack a small bunch of deer hair. Tie this in as a parachute post.
11.
At the base of the hairs from a winter coat of a moose or deer there is a dense under fur. Remove enough to dub the thorax.
12.
Dub the thorax behind and forward of the post.
13.
Place your finger tip in the centre of the deer hair post and press down until the deer hair flattens out.
14.
Place a small drop of Bug Bond in the center of the deer hair parachute hackle.
15.
Give the Bug Bond a zap with the UV light.
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16.
The finished Fender emerger, made only from deer hair and Bug Bond.
17.
The view from below. Its a perfect quick and simple parachute hackle.
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7 thoughts on “Fender Parachute”

    1. Hi Chris, The deer hair hackle is no problem to take in, its as soft as the best dry fly hackle. I have fished it on both still and running water to great effect. At the weekend at the British Fly Fair International, it was this pattern that the majority of my visitors praised as a great still water pattern. Give it a go!

  3. I love the simplicity and the absolute perfection of the deer hair parachute – I’m going to make a heap of these. Thanks again for another simple, yet stunning technique! Metiefly

  4. Awesome design. I haven’t fished it yet but I’m thinking I may try one with a foam post to keep it afloat. Takes away from your idea I know but I hat flies with minimum floatablity.

  5. Great fly design!!! I love the simplicity of the parachute. I will tie some this weekend and will try it also with a colored post in the middle for more visibility. And the combination of material for body and dubbing are endless. For those who don’t like “normal” deer hair try comparadun hair which is thinner and softer. But I agree with Barry that deer hair works also fine on Stillwater.