AmericanFlyFishing.com - Patterns: Fly Tying, Sloan's Paralyzer

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5/21/2013

Sloan's Paralyzer
By Jason Akl

Parachute patterns have some of the most unique construction out of all the different dry fly patterns that exist. These so called parachutes are characterized by the use of a horizontal post wrapped with hackle. This parachute style of hackling a fly creates a slim profile for the fly while on the waters surface but at the same time provides good floating ability even on turbulent water. This horizontal hackle allows the fly to also ride lower in the waters film creating a more realistic imitation of the insects that fall to the waters surface.

The paralyzer fly pattern was originated by David Sloan a fly fishing instructor, guide and excellent fly tier. The paralyzers’ greatness comes from its ability to mimic many different food sources for trout. In the smaller sizes this patterns is great at imitating the late summer caddis and stoneflies. With the deer hair wing tied in this pattern, it is not out of the question that the paralyzer can also be used to imitate the smaller of the summer hoppers.

Fishing the paralyzer is easy and fun. All you need is a weight forward floating line and a light tippet. Cast the fly upstream and across from your position, and let the fly drift free downstream. Mend the line as needed to keep the fly drifting with as little drag as possible. A good idea is to try this fly in dry and dropper combination. The buoyant deer hair wing coupled with the parachute hackle is perfect to tow a small bead-headed nymph. If you find yourself having a rough run on the river try a paralyzer pattern and see what all the fuss is about.

Step 1 Start this fly by clamping your hook into the vice and securing it down tightly. Attach the thread behind the hook eye and advance it to the ¾ mark on the hook shank.

Step 2 Clip a small section of white calf tail and align the tips with your hair stacker. Measure the post height (the height of the post should be close to the diameter of the hook gape) and tie down with the stacker tips over the hook eye. Clip the tag end of the white calf tail and bind it down tightly. A drop of two of flexament here will help to keep things in place a little better. Once the flexament has dried pull the stacked tips of calf tail back towards the hooks rear and wrap in front of them with the thread. The thread wraps should hold the post perpendicular to the hook shank.

Step 3 Select a size 18 hackle and strip the bottom of the feather shaft. Wrap this shaft down to the hook shank with thread and bring it to the point above the barb. Wrap down a piece of copper wire in the same manner that you did the hackle.

Step 4 Pinch dub the thread with the yellow dubbing and build a small tapering body towards the post. Once you are happy with the body you have just made wrap the hackle forward evenly. Tie off the hackle behind the post and then proceed to counter wrap the copper wire up the body of the fly. This copper wire will secure the hackle down and keep it from breaking and unwinding after a few bites. Select and stack a small portion of natural deer hair. Tie this deer hair in as a spent wing just behind the post you created earlier (if you are having trouble fitting in the deer hair wing bend the post forward a little bit with your finger to get some extra room).

Step 5 Select a small grizzly hackle and again strip the bottom shaft of the feather. Tie this hackle onto the bottom of the post. Resume dubbing the fly until you reached a point past the post.

Step 6 With your thread out of the way wrap the hackle horizontally around the post four or five times creating a nice bushy hackle for the fly. The hackle stem should be tied off onto of the hook shank and then add a little more dubbing to the thread to conceal the tie down point. Create a small head for the fly, whip finish and cement.

Click photos to enlarge

Products for this fly:
•	Tiemco TMC 100 Hooks
•	Tiemco TMC 101 Hooks
•	Uni 8/0 Tying Thread
•	Whiting 100's Dry Fly Hackle
•	Calf Tail
•	Deer Body Hair- Extra Select Large
•	Superfine, Dry Fly Dubbing
•	Copper Wire

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