In my early years of fly tying I thought that parachute patterns was the best imitation for the dun stage. That was also what I learned from the magazines,books and the more experienced anglers I knew. The truth is that a parachute fly really imitates the change from nymph to dun. It also works great as a drowned dun in rough waters or weather conditions. I find myself fishing the emergers and spent spinners way more than I do the dun stage. To our eyes the parachute may look as the perfect imitation for a dun, but it’s really not.
That’s why I carry a bunch of classic hackled flies in my boxes,in addition to parachutes and all the other oddballs I may create during the winter. I absolutely prefer the Catskill patterns for this purpose,but using ordinary dubbing and antron yarn in the wings makes it easier and faster to tie. I find this style of flies to be very durable as well as easy for the beginner. I normally tie the wing using V-style, but don’t make them to thick, as this will disturb the balance of the fly. If desireable one can use fluorescent color for the wing. It seems to mean nothing to the fish…