FLY OF THE MONTH CONTEST

792

JANUARY 2012

PARASOL PHEASANT TAIL  

BY

TED LEESON AND JIM SCHOLLMEYER

Ted Leeson and Jim Schollmeyer’s parasol series is not so much a new concept as a new angle on a seldom explored concept – A nymph or emerger hanging from a built – in pontoon. Their puff of yarn on a strand of tippet is quick - simple, and functional. The idea is to suggest a nymph, ripe to hatch, just short of reaching the water’s surface. Try tying a parasol onto other nymph patters also like a pmd or bwo and maybe a hare’s ear.  

Pattern
Hook- Light wire, Standard length or 1x long. Sizes 18 to14.
Thread- brown 8/0 or 6/0.
PARASOL- Light gray poly yarn tied with a clinch knot to 4x tippet.
TAIL- 4 pheasant tail fiber tips.
RIB- Fine copper (or gold) wire.
ABDOMEN- Pheasant tail fibers.
THORAX- Peacock herl.
LEGS – Mottled brown hen back hackle fibers (regular brown hen will do also) or pheasant tail fibers.
Comments – This flexible emerger imitates a number of mayfly nymphs when it’s tied in different sizes

HOW TO MAKE THE PARASOL

** Using the 4x tippet and the poly yarn.

  1. Cut 2 lengths of 1 to 2 inches of poly yarn.
  2. With the tippet tie an improved clinch knot tightly around the center of the poly yarn sections. Trim off the tag end of the tippet.
  3. Comb out the ends of the yarn with your hair comb you use for combing out the fuzz on deer hair. Do not cut the yarn yet we will do it at the very last step.

HOW TO TIE

  1. Debarb the hook and place in vice.
  2. Start your thread and bind on the tippet about 2/3 up the shank leaving about a ¼ inch between the hook shank and the yarn ( depending on hook size ) keeping the parasol on top of the hook shank. Clip off tag of tippet and wrap to the end of shank.
  3. Tie in some pheasant tail fibers (about 4) ½ to 2/3 the hook length at the rear of the hook shank.
  4. Tie in a piece of fine copper wire at the rear of the hook shank and set aside in your material clip.
  5. Tie in about ten strands ( less for smaller hooks ) of longer pheasant tail fibers at the rear of the hook shank ( by the tips).Wrap pheasant tail around thread clockwise to make a rope Then wrap forward to right behind the parasol tippet. Tie off and clip off tag ends.
  6. Counter wrap wire forward to the tippet parasol – tie off and clip tag end.
  7. Using your thread - put a couple wraps right in front of the tippet parasol to keep it straight up.
  8.  Tie in about 3 or 4 strands of peacock herl right in front of the parasol then wrap the peacock around the thread clockwise to make a rope – put one or two wraps behind the tippet parasol then wrap in front of the parasol a couple times to make the thorax. Tie off and clip the tag ends.
  9. Grab a hen feather with the barbs about the size of the thorax you made – pluck off the fuzz on the bottom - then pull off the barbs on one side of the feather leaving the other side on. Now on that same side pull just a small section of barbs toward the top of the feather off so you can use as a tie in point on the feather just a couple barbs will do. Now tie the feather in by the tip side where you last pulled a few barbs off – Then clip your tag end off and try and keep your barbs facing up away from the shank – then wrap it around 2 or 3 times to make the legs – tie off – clip tag ends –make a small thread head then whip-finish-, cut the thread and your almost done.
  10. Comb out the parasol one more time to try and mix the strands together better (it will not be perfect). Gather the ends of the yarn and pull them firmly up. Cut them straight across. The result should be a dense puff of yarn, rounded on the top, suspended above the fly by a little bit of tippet.

*Now that was easy – Tie up a couple dozen but save your best one for the FLY OF THE MONTH CONTEST we have at each meeting. The winner gets their picture in the newsletter along with their fly. And don’t forget at the end of the year we have an award for FLY TYER OF THE YEAR.

 CARL WUEBBEN   >)))))))(‘>