Riverstone Grey Parachute Adams
by @dekasso
Parachute Adams · Dry fly
A white post riding over clear stones
A Parachute Adams dry fly on a size 14 hook, in grey, brown and white, for trout rising to mayflies.
A Parachute Adams dry fly with a soft grey body, a ring of brown and grizzly hackle and a bright white post. It sits over clear water and pale river stones, with a long barred tail trailing behind.
- Pattern
- Parachute Adams
- Imitates
- General grey mayfly hatches, including blue-winged olives, typically spring through autumn
- Hook
- size 14
- Tippet
- 5Xrule of three
- White poly post stays easy to track
- Brown and grizzly hackle wound parachute
- Shaggy Adams grey dubbed body
- Long barred brown and grizzly tail
- Size 14 dry fly hook
On the water
A tuft of white poly stands up like a little sail. Below it, brown and grizzly hackle fans out flat around the post. The grey body is shaggy and buggy, and a long barred tail trails off the bend.
Fish it on riffles and smooth glides when grey mayflies are on the water. Cast upstream, let it ride drag-free, and watch the white post drift through the light. It sits low in the film, the way a fresh dun does.
Adams grey dubbing works best spun thin and a little rough. A loose, buggy body catches light and hints at legs, but keep it slim so the fly still sits right on the surface.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 5Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Use 5X or 6X tippet so the fly lands softly and drifts freely.
- Dress the hackle and post with floatant; leave the body to sit low in the film.
- Mend early and let the fly drift dead; a twitch can put a rising fish down.
Where and when
- Hatch
- General grey mayfly hatches, including blue-winged olives, typically spring through autumn
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Riffles, runs and slow glides over clear, stony streambeds
- Also fishes
- Also drifts well on lake margins during evening rises and on small mountain creeks where trout take anything grey and buggy.
Make it yourself
Intermediate5 materials · 10 steps
- Pattern
- Parachute Adams
- Style
- Dry fly
- Hook
- Tiemco 100 dry fly hooksize 14
- Thread
- Grey 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- WingWhite poly yarn post
- TailMixed brown and grizzly hackle fibers
- BodyAdams grey dubbing
- HackleBrown and grizzly rooster hackle, wound parachute
- HeadGrey 8/0 thread
Details
- Imitates
- Mayfly dun
- Colors
- Grey, Brown, White
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (10)
- Mount the size 14 dry fly hook in the vise and start the grey thread behind the eye.
- Tie in a short length of white poly yarn about a third back from the eye, then lift it upright and build a thread dam in front to stand it vertical.
- Wrap thread up the base of the post a few turns to stiffen it for the hackle.
- Run the thread to the bend and tie in a mix of brown and grizzly hackle fibers, one hook shank long.
- Tie in the brown and grizzly hackle feathers at the base of the post, shiny side up, stems along the post.
- Dub a thin, slightly rough noodle of Adams grey and wrap a tapered body from the bend up to and around the post.
- Wind the hackles together down the post, each turn below the last, for four or five turns.
- Tie off the hackle tips under the post and clip them flush.
- Form a small neat head behind the eye and whip finish.
- Trim the post to about one shank length tall.
Proportions (4)
- Tail: about one hook shank long.
- Post: roughly one shank length tall above the hackle.
- Hackle fibers: about one and a half times the hook gap.
- Body: slim taper filling the shank from bend to just behind the eye.
Tips (3)
- Wrap thread up the post before hackling; a stiff base makes the hackle turns sit tight and flat.
- Pair hackles of matching size so the collar spreads evenly.
- Keep the dubbing light; you can always add more but you cannot take it off cleanly.
Common mistakes (4)
- A leaning post: build a firm thread dam in front so the yarn stands straight.
- Crowded eye: leave a clear eye length free so the head and tie-off fit.
- Bulky body: spin dubbing thin on the thread to keep the taper slim.
- Hackle winding up the post: wrap each turn downward, beneath the one before.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 14 · Materials only · 12 flies
$47.30
$3.94 a fly
Includes Tiemco 100 dry fly hook · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100 dry fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Grey 8/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- White poly yarn post$3.50
- Mixed brown and grizzly hackle fibers$11.95
- Adams grey dubbing$4.50
- Brown and grizzly rooster hackle, wound parachute$11.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 14 · Materials only · 48 flies
$80.89
$1.69 a fly
Bought separately $85.15 · you save $4.26
Includes Tiemco 100 dry fly hook · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100 dry fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Grey 8/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- White poly yarn post$3.50
- Mixed brown and grizzly hackle fibers$23.90
- Adams grey dubbing$9
- Brown and grizzly rooster hackle, wound parachute$23.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 14 · Materials only · 144 flies
$202.88
$1.41 a fly
Bought separately $230.55 · you save $27.67
Includes Tiemco 100 dry fly hook · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100 dry fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Grey 8/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- White poly yarn post$10.50
- Mixed brown and grizzly hackle fibers$71.70
- Adams grey dubbing$18
- Brown and grizzly rooster hackle, wound parachute$71.70
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 14 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$197.30
$16.44 a fly
Includes Tiemco 100 dry fly hook · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100 dry fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Grey 8/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- White poly yarn post$3.50
- Mixed brown and grizzly hackle fibers$11.95
- Adams grey dubbing$4.50
- Brown and grizzly rooster hackle, wound parachute$11.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 14 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$223.39
$4.65 a fly
Bought separately $235.15 · you save $11.76
Includes Tiemco 100 dry fly hook · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100 dry fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Grey 8/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- White poly yarn post$3.50
- Mixed brown and grizzly hackle fibers$23.90
- Adams grey dubbing$9
- Brown and grizzly rooster hackle, wound parachute$23.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 14 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$334.88
$2.33 a fly
Bought separately $380.55 · you save $45.67
Includes Tiemco 100 dry fly hook · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 100 dry fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Grey 8/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- White poly yarn post$10.50
- Mixed brown and grizzly hackle fibers$71.70
- Adams grey dubbing$18
- Brown and grizzly rooster hackle, wound parachute$71.70
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
Remixes
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Where this came from
fly pattern · made
1 save
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- parachute adams
- dry fly
- mayfly
- grey
- brown
- white post
- grizzly hackle
- trout
- size 14
- dubbing