Michigan Flies

Flies / Dry fly

Mahogany Dun Parachute

A

For the fall Mahogany Duns that draw feeding fish on the Pere Marquette from mid September through October, and the Slate Wing Mahoganies of U.P. charts. Fish it on cool afternoons in slow seams; it also matches the spring Blue Quill in #16 to #18.

#14–18Mahogany body, slate wingclear waterafternoon
What the pattern looks like
Reference photos of the Mahogany Dun Parachute tied by others, shared by their photographers. Not our flies; our own product photos replace these as they are shot.

Photo © Quinn for Fly Deal Flies, used with permission · Thorax Mahogany Dun

Season
Months this pattern is in play across Michigan, derived from what it imitates.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Imitates

The naturals

Fish it for
Brown troutBrook troutRainbow trout (resident)

Setups

  • Dry fly
How it's tied
A
Parachute Mahogany Dun. A slim reddish-brown parachute for the Paraleptophlebia mahogany duns that ride the slow edges in spring and again in fall, often alongside Hendricksons. Our own write-up of the standard tie, checked against the sources below. Recipe by FlyGuysNLies.

Materials

Hook
Standard dry-fly hook, sizes 14-18
Thread
Rusty brown, 8/0 or 70 denier
Tail
Medium dun or brown hackle fibers, or Microfibetts
Post
White or dark dun poly yarn, or calf body hairFlagler uses dark dun calf body hair for a realistic slate wing
Abdomen
Mahogany or rusty-brown Superfine dubbing, slim and taperedAlternative: a soaked stripped peacock quill for segmentation
Thorax
Mahogany dubbing or natural beaver
Hackle
Dark dun dry-fly hackle, parachute style

Steps

  1. 1.Lay a thread base back to the bend and tie in a sparse bunch of dun fibers for a tail about one shank length long.
  2. 2.Bring the thread forward to the post position, a quarter of the shank behind the eye, and tie in the poly yarn or a cleaned, stacked bunch of calf hair; stand it up with a thread dam and wrap a short base up the post.
  3. 3.Return to the tail and dub a thin noodle of mahogany Superfine; wind a slim, tapered abdomen to just behind the post (or wind a soaked peacock quill for a ribbed body and coat it lightly).
  4. 4.Tie in a dark dun hackle against the post with the stem running up the post.
  5. 5.Dub a small thorax around the post, a touch fuller than the abdomen.
  6. 6.Wind the hackle down the post three or four turns, catch the tip with the thread under the hackle and trim it.
  7. 7.Whip finish under the hackle, trim the post to shank length and add a small drop of cement at the post base.

From the tier

  • In Michigan the little mahogany dun (Paraleptophlebia adoptiva, also called the Blue Quill) hatches in April and May with the Hendricksons, and a second Paraleptophlebia brood shows in September; a #16 covers both.
  • Tim Flagler's Blue Quill Parachute for the same insect uses a stripped peacock quill body; soak the quills first so they do not crack.
  • FlyGuysNLies suggests fishing it dead-drift in slow pools and flat water where trout can inspect the fly; the mahogany dun is a slow-water bug.

Parachute Mahogany Dun Fly Pattern - Recipe and Fishing Tips Steps combine the FlyGuysNLies recipe with Flagler's Blue Quill Parachute (same insect); no Michigan-specific published dressing was found. Unconfirmed: Michigan hatch timing for Paraleptophlebia is from general hatch knowledge rather than a fetched Michigan source. Also checked against Phil Monahan / Tim Flagler, Orvis News (2021), Video: How to Tie the Blue Quill Parachute, Henry's Fork Anglers, Mahogany Dun and RiverBum, Mahogany, Parachute.

Materials to buy
Everything one Mahogany Dun Parachute takes, each item once: 5 items, plus 1 optional. Quantities are for a single fly. We do not sell components yet; when we do, these will link to them.

Hook and hardware

  • Standard dry-fly hooks1 per fly

    sizes 14-18

    Hook

Feathers and fur

  • Dark dun dry-fly cape1 cape (tail and hackle)

    TailHackle

  • Superfine dubbing1 packet

    mahogany brown

    AbdomenThorax

  • Stripped peacock quillsoptional1 pack

    Abdomen

    Quill-body variant

Synthetics, flash and legs

  • Poly yarn or calf body hair1 card or patch

    white or dark dun

    Post

Thread and finish

  • Tying thread1 spool

    rusty brown, 70 denier

    Thread

Sources