Alex Lafkas guides full time out of the Old AuSable Fly Shop in Grayling, Michigan. Alex got his start fly-tying and fishing the AuSable under the tutelage of Rusty Gates, at age 15. Countless winters of production tying for Gates Lodge and Old AuSable Fly Shop have helped him advance his tying. All flies trout, Alex can tie; large baitfish patterns to small Olive Emergers to Copper John’s, his fly boxes are proof. Several years ago Alex began spending January through March guiding on the White River in Arkansas. April through December is spent on the AuSable River, from Grayling to Loud Pond. Spring and fall are mainly wet fly seasons, streamers and nymphs, with peak dry fly season from Mid-April through September.
Alex provides us with detailed information about the Biot Parachute. A fly he uses with great success. As proof, one of Alex’s clients is shown at the end of this post holding a 21″ brown trout he caught on a Biot Parachute.
Biot Parachute
Hook: TMC 100, 101 #14-#22
Thread: Color to Match Dubbing
Shuck: Dark Brown Z-Lon
Body: Biot to match insect
Parachute: Hi-Vis
Hackle: To match insect
Dubbing: To match insect
The following chart will break down what biot, dubbing and hackle should be used for each insect:
| Insect | Thread | Biot | Dubbing | Hackle |
| BWO #16-#22 | Olive | BWO | Superfine BWO | Grizzly dyed olive, Med dun, Dark Dun |
| Hendrickson #14 | Tan | Brown/Gray/Hendrickson Pink | Superfine Dark Tan | Dark, Med or Light Dun |
| Sulpher #16-#18 | Yellow | Sulper Yellow/Yellow | Superfine PMD or Yellow | Lt Dun, Badger, Ginger |
| Iso #12-#14 | Gray | Gray | Lt Olive | Dark, Med or Lt Dun |
- Use a half strand of Z-Lon on #14’s and bigger, 1/3 for #16 or smaller. Tie in the Z-Lon 2/3 of the way up the hook shank, where you will tie your post in. Wrap thread back so the Z-Lon extends straight off the rear of the hook. Trim Z-Lon so it is the same length as the hook shank.
- Moisten biot and tie it in tip first. Tie in with clear side down and wrap up 2/3 of the hook shank to where the Z-Lon is tied in.
- Cover the hook shank with thread to the eye of the hook. And tie in Hi-Vis parachute. I use para post and split the material in half. Then I tie in the material with 5 or 6 wraps along the hook shank then make several wraps around the para post to form a solid base that doesn’t turn on the hook. Apply a drop of glue to post when completed.
- Tie in hackle and use a small amount of dubbing and cover the area around the post and the hook shank in front of post. When this step is completed the only part of the hook shank showing should be at the eye of the hook.
- Wrap hackle and tie off around the post. This is done by taking your thread behind the post and below the hackle and wrapping around the post twice. Then move your thread to the eye of the hook, whip finish.
If you would like to get in touch with Alex for a guide trip, you can reach him at his e-mail address .
