Parachute Cahill

Origin

The Light Cahill Parachute Pattern has been provided by The Ozark Angler - Arkansas' Premier Fly Fishing Outfitters.  Check out their web site for more patterns.

Materials

Hook:

Standard dry fly sizes #10 - 18.

Thread:

6/0 or 8/0 Tan

Tail0

Ginger hackle fibers

Body:

Badger under fur

Hackle:

Ginger

Wing:

A single bunch of white calf hair

Tying Instructions

1. Lay down a double thread layer; then cut, comb, stack, measure and tie in a bunch of calf tail.
2. Pull the hair back and crease it upright with your thumbnail.
3. Secure the hair wing's upright position with thread; then wrap thread up and down the base of the wing.
4. Prepare and then tie in a hackle against the base of the wing. Run the thread up and down the wing's base again, covering the hackle stem as well.
5. Draw the stem of the hackle back along the shank; secure the stem with thread, trim it, and cover its cut end and the hair buts with thread.
6. Dub from the bend to just in front of the wing.
7. Wrap the hackle down the thread-wrapped base of the wing in close, consecutive turns. When you can wrap the hackle no farther, let your hackle pliers hang on the far side of the hook in front of the wing.
8. Draw back the hackle fibers in a modified triangle, and secure the hackle's tip with tight thread turns. Release the bobbin, trim the hackle's tip, build a thread head, add a triple whip finish, coat the head with head cement.
9. Once the head cement is hard, you can tug the wing and hackle back into shape.
10. Note how the hackle fibers radiate from the wing on the finished parachute.

Fishing Techniques

The Light Cahill Parachute is a mayfly imitation. Fish it dead drift.