One of the advantages of Paraloop flies is that there is no hackle below the hook shank, which is ideal for hookups.

The other great benefit of the technique is the profile of the fly: because of the absence of hackle below the hook shank Paraloop flies sit low in or on the water.

And that is a big plus, especially for emergers. The Paraloop technique is very versatile: you can use it on any hackled fly that you wish to turn into a low-riding fly.

My favorite emerger is the Peccary Paraloop Emerger. I use it on smaller, slower sections of trout and grayling streams in the hills of Germany and it has proven a very successful pattern.

I use Whiting saddle hackle because this hackle has a thin and flexible, yet strong stem, which is a must-have for hackling around a small diameter parachute post used on paraloop hackles. The new Daiichi 1160 Klinkhammer hooks are a great choice for this emerger. They are light ( a heavy hook turns a low-riding fly into a diver), have the right shape for emergers and are wicked sharp.

Materials

Hook Daiichi Klinkhamer 1160, size 14
Thread Veevus 16/0 grey
Body One peccary hair
Post 10 – 12 strands of polypro yarn
Thorax Peacock herl
Hackle Whiting speckled badger cock

Step by step

Final fly
Peccary Paraloop Emerger
2. Set up the thread to well into the bend.
2. Set up the thread to well into the bend.
3. Tie in one Peccary hair (soak well before tying in).
3. Tie in one Peccary hair (soak well before tying in).
4. Wrap a neat body, tie off and cut.
4. Wrap a neat body, tie off and cut.
5. Tie in parachute post - only 10 or so strands of poly will do. Fat posts are horrible to tie down later on.
5. Tie in parachute post – only 10 or so strands of poly will do. Fat posts are horrible to tie down later on.
6. Tie in three peacock herls.
6. Tie in three peacock herls.
7. Tie in your hackle - this is a Hebert-Miner Speckled Badger saddle hackle. Speckled hackle is great for emergers because it suggests movement. Natural or dyed Grizzle hackle will also work of course.
7. Tie in your hackle – this is a Hebert-Miner Speckled Badger saddle hackle. Speckled hackle is great for emergers because it suggests movement. Natural or dyed Grizzle hackle will also work of course.
8. Twist the peacock and make one wrap behind and in front of the post. It's best to do it now because you won't be able to reach that area when the hackle is in place later on.
8. Twist the peacock and make one wrap behind and in front of the post. It’s best to do it now because you won’t be able to reach that area when the hackle is in place later on.
9. Wrap a dense hackle up around the post and back down again. Tie hackle off around the hook or the post and cut.
9. Wrap a dense hackle up around the post and back down again. Tie hackle off around the hook or the post and cut.
10. With the nail of your left hand (assuming right-handed tiers), push into the hackle to divide the barbs left and right.
10. With the nail of your left hand (assuming right-handed tiers), push into the hackle to divide the barbs left and right.
11. With your right hand thumb and index finger, pull the barbs back to clear the area in front of the post for the peacock.
11. With your right hand thumb and index finger, pull the barbs back to clear the area in front of the post for the peacock.
12. Twist the peacock and wrap a thorax with three of four wraps. Don't crowd the eye. Make a few thread wraps just behind the eye as a thread base on which to tie down the post.
12. Twist the peacock and wrap a thorax with three of four wraps. Don’t crowd the eye. Make a few thread wraps just behind the eye as a thread base on which to tie down the post.
13. Pull the parachute over the thorax. If you pull the post tightly forward, the fly will sit higher on the water than when you leave a small space between the hackle and thorax. Tie the post down behind the hook eye. Avoid trapping any hackle barbs: use the post as a guide to slide your thread wraps in place. If you do so, the thread pressure alone will push back any stray hackle barbs.
13. Pull the parachute over the thorax. If you pull the post tightly forward, the fly will sit higher on the water than when you leave a small space between the hackle and thorax. Tie the post down behind the hook eye. Avoid trapping any hackle barbs: use the post as a guide to slide your thread wraps in place. If you do so, the thread pressure alone will push back any stray hackle barbs.
14. Whip finish.
14. Whip finish.
16. Done! Just add water. Any trout or grayling stream will do just fine.
16. Done! Just add water. Any trout or grayling stream will do just fine.
15. Dense, speckled hackle that to me suggests motion (Emerger).
15. Dense, speckled hackle that to me suggests motion (Emerger).
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