What is your favorite Dun for slow/stillwater?

[iciclecreek]

Usually I throw comparaduns and match the color/size to the hatch for slower water. I want to start using cdc for my wings. What duns do you carry for this kind of water?

Thanks!

[MoscaPescador]

To be honest, I don't know the names of the flies that I use for slow or stillwater. As for the bugs, reference Callibaetis, Mahogany Dun, Blue Wing Olive, Pale Morning Dun, and Pale Evening Dun. Bug size can range from 14 to 24.

A great reference book is Schollmeyer's Hatch Guide for Western Streamers.

Dennis

Amazon.com: Hatch Guide for Western Streams (9781571881069): Jim Schollmeyer: Books

Amazon.com: Hatch Guide for Western Streams (9781571881069): Jim Schollmeyer: Books

[lightline]

Simple. Just tie your same comparaduns with cdc puffs for the wing instead of hair. Splay the cdc upright just like the hair, and they float like a cork, and are "softer" than hair. Match size and color to the bug. If you want it a bit more realistic, use a biot for the body instead of dubbing. That makes a more "ribbed" effect IMO. If you trim the top of the cdc a little when you're on the water, you then have a very good spinner imitation. Even if you don't trim it, the splayed wing has a spent silouette from underneath (trout's view).

Tie it with a light (pmd), dark, and rusty body. Wing can be light dun or cream on nearly everything. For drakes (brown, green, grey), make both darker. I like the cdc "puffs" for my winging material.

[iciclecreek]

I don't have any turkey biots, but I have been using goose boits on the 16 and smaller sizes. It seems to work well. Some times I will use pheasant tail fibers for the body of brownish colored duns.

While we are on the subject of duns. How often do you guys use a nymphal shuck for a tail (z-lon)?

I use mine for the smaller sizes sometimes.

[FrankB2]

I use Z-Lon subsitute (J.S. Stockard sells it CHEAP) for X-Caddis. A #16 X-Caddis with a green body and amber shuck has been a real producer for me during the past year. I don't know if the fish view the amber shuck as a shuck per se, or if it's just an attractive addition. An attractive addition is my guess. For stillwaters, it's almost always X-Caddis and BWO's. They work, and I don't fix what's not broken (read: I'm too lazy to experiment, especially when the fish are biting ).

[lightline]

I use a Z-lon type tail on nearly all my mayflies, and definitely on all my emergers. Dark on the emergers, and light on most of the duns. Sparse is the key, don't over-do it. Just a few long strands on adults. A short "clump" on the emergers.

[lightline]

Here's a dun with the cdc wing, hackle-tip tail, and biot body. Like you originally asked about. This particular one is a match for the "mahogany dun" hatch we see around here in late summer/early fall.