Everyone knows that parachutes are extraordinary flies. They float easily and are very good at catching fish. However there is a detail that one must have in mind. If they are not tied properly, the axes and the hackle slide on a side after a few castings or a few caught fish. The secret lies in making a few turns with the thread of the hook’s shank before setting the material on the axes. The above mentioned sliding is due to the fact that the material slips on hook made of steel. In order to strengthen the tie one can add a drop of superglue at the end.
I will show you different situations of fixing the axes and also various materials used by fly tiers. First of all I will present the rabbit hair from the back side of the leg. This hair collects many thin particles of air making it more floatable (actually this hair is nothing else that an thermo isolator which protects the rabbit during cold days when it stays on the frozen ground). This natural material is superior to the American calf tail due to its special properties which I will explain in another article.

Another material is synthetic polypropylene because it doesn’t get moist and it has silicon on its surface it becomes floatable gel. Moreover it is very easy to work with especially on small and medium size hooks. Now I will a tying method for small hooks. The pictures will talk for themselves.

The last items are the barbs from different feathers: cock, turkey and in this specific case the barbs from the duck feathers. Their softness allows us to use them in the case of medium and little hooks- down to #20.