Fed’s Poly Yarn Parachute Caddis

Fed’s Poly Yarn Parachute Caddis

The parachute caddis has earned its spot in every serious trout angler’s fly box. It’s versatile, durable, and a reliable match for hatches from late spring through Autumn. But like all classics, it’s open to interpretation—and that’s where Fed’s Poly Yarn Parachute Caddis comes in.

Instead of dubbing or natural hair, this pattern builds both the body and post entirely from dry-fly poly yarn. That one swap changes everything: visibility, floatation, and simplicity at the vise.

Why Poly Yarn?

Polypropylene yarn has two big advantages for dry flies:

  • It doesn’t absorb water. That means less fuss with floatant and longer drifts before the fly sinks.
  • It’s highly visible. Even in small sizes, the bright yarn post makes the fly easier to track in broken water.

Fed doubles down on those strengths by extending the poly yarn beyond the post and wrapping it down the shank for the body. The result is a slim, segmented silhouette with built-in buoyancy. No dubbing to soak up water, no ribbing needed.

On the Water Performance

Fish key in on the caddis profile—a tented wing with the parachute hackle splayed just above the surface film. The poly yarn body keeps the fly riding high while suggesting the slim abdomen of an emerging caddis.

In fast pocket water, Fed’s version holds up longer than natural-hair patterns. In glassy runs, it lands softly and stays visible without spooking fish. If you’re tired of reapplying floatant every third cast, this pattern is a relief.

Why It Belongs in Your Box

Fed’s Poly Yarn Parachute Caddis isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s a practical update that trims down the materials list, speeds up tying, and gives anglers a fly that floats longer and fishes harder.

Whether you’re tying a dozen for the next caddis hatch or just looking for a high-riding attractor, this pattern deserves a permanent row in your dry-fly box.

Tying Materials

  • Hook:Scud size 10.
  • Thread:Sheer 14/0 Gray.
  • Rib:Ultra fine copper wire.
  • Body:Semperfli dry fly polyyarn pale brown.
  • Post:Polyyarn.
  • Hackle:Grizzly.
Materials for Fed’s Poly Yarn Parachute Caddis dry fly, including poly yarn, hook, and tying supplies

The construction is streamlined, but that’s the point. It’s quicker to tie than a traditional parachute caddis and just as effective on the water.

Tying Instructions

Hook covered with thread and ribbing wire tied in.
  1. Cover the hook with thread.
  2. Tie in the ribbing wire along the hook shank.
  1. Tie in the poly yarn cord, running it from front to back.
  2. Return the thread to a position just behind the hook eye.
Poly yarn cord tied from front to back and thread returned behind hook eye.
Segmented poly yarn body wrapped to hook eye with long cord tag left out front.
  1. Wrap a touching, segmented body with the poly yarn back to the hook eye.
  2. Leave a long tag of the poly yarn extending out the front of the hook.
  1. Rib the body with copper wire, securing each wrap.
  2. Tie in and post up the poly yarn to form the parachute post.
Body ribbed with copper wire and poly yarn post tied up.
Hackle tied and wrapped around parachute post.
  1. Tie in the hackle and wrap it around the post, securing it in place.
  2. Use the tag of poly yarn to build the thorax over the post.
  1. Parachute the hackle and tie it off using a half hitch or whip finish.
  2. Apply Gink (Payette Paste) to the post and hackle to finish before fishing.
Loon Payette Paste - Apply Gink (Payette Paste) to the post and hackle to finish before fishing.
Parachute hackle secured with poly yarn thorax, finished and ready for ginking.
https://youtu.be/UdKYArtS-lY

Julian Tapping

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