Tying with CDC

Pocono

Pocono

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I went to the International Fly Tying Symposium in Summit, NJ this weekend. On Sunday I took a 1/2 day course with Marc Petitjean on his CDC tying techniques. Talk about a guy with a lot of techniques up his sleeve! I had no idea that he tied with only CDC. Bodies, wings, wing cases, parachute posts; they're all CDC; formed in one way of another.

We tied up a couple of patterns during the course; an adult caddis; very much like an elk hair caddis, but with a rolled CDC body and a false hackled wing (now I appreciate what one of his Magic Tools can actually do for you). The other was a standard mayfly pattern; again with the rolled CDC body and false hackle wing. Splitting the thread to capture the false hackle can be challenging; I was glad that I was tying with a thread that was easy to flatten; gives you a bigger target when you go poking around at it with the bodkin.

He also tied up a parachute mayfly and a couple of emergers.

Really nice work; pretty flies and very buggy looking. I was glad that I took the course. Something else to add to the fly tying arsenal.

What do the rest of you think about tying with CDC? I remember that Tob1 used to post nice CDC patterns from time to time.

Pocono
 
Jimmie

Jimmie

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I've never ordered CDC probably because of the mysteries surrounding it. Anyway in my own mind. So CDC has always been a little imtimidating.
What kind of thread is he splitting? What thread do you use Pocono?
 
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estrother

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I like it in a different way.

I guess I've not really tied the complex CDC patterns, but for me CDC makes many small flies simple and quick. Using the psuedo-CDC tufts to tie small BWOs is fast and easy, and the fish certainly cannot tell the difference.
 
Pocono

Pocono

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Jimmie said:
I've never ordered CDC probably because of the mysteries surrounding it. Anyway in my own mind. So CDC has always been a little imtimidating.
What kind of thread is he splitting? What thread do you use Pocono?
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Jimmie,

He used his own brand of thread, but I used my trusty Danville Flymaster 6/0, which is very easy to flatten and the split. At one point, he asked what I was tying with, looked down and said: "that will work". It did.

CDC is actually pretty easy to work with. It's so pliable that it really doesn't have a mind of its own; which makes maniuplating it easier. I'll post up a couple of CDC patterns once I get to the other side of the Salmon fly tying.

Pocono
 
BlueDun

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Jimmie said:
I've never ordered CDC probably because of the mysteries surrounding it. Anyway in my own mind. So CDC has always been a little imtimidating.
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Same for me - I also do not know how to fish w/ CDC flies - all I know (I think) is that you are not supposed to use floatant w/ it.
 
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rangerrich99

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BlueDun said:
Same for me - I also do not know how to fish w/ CDC flies - all I know (I think) is that you are not supposed to use floatant w/ it.
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Whoops. What happens if you DO put floatant on CDC? Is it just a whoops, or is there a matter/anti-matter reaction type of moment? And if it is a big bang kind of thing, how long do I have? I did that yesterday, almost exactly 24 hours ago . . . looking for my car keys while I wait for an answer . . .
 
ChrisinselwynNZ

ChrisinselwynNZ

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The floatant will clogg up the cdc and stop it from flaoting, you are better to use the silica gel (or similar desicant) to dry it out, and or squeeze it between your fingers:)

I have started to tie with it more this year for midge and caddis patterns:)

Chris
 
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