KORN'S CDC SPENT-WING CADDIS SBS
This caddis pattern is a great guide fly because it's fast and easy to tie and if it's fished properly very effective. I fish it as a trailing fly tied about 12-18 inches behind a dry fly like a; Korn's CDC Spent-wing Parachute Caddis, X-Caddis or a hopper. This is my go to fly and it works just as well in the East or West.
Materials:
- Hook: MFC 7000 #14
- Thread: Uni-8/0 Camel
- Body: tan CDC Type 4 feather wrapped forward
- Wing: 2 hen pheasant feathers tied flat and notched at tip, with a drop of head cement spread on top
- Thorax: Fox squirrel dubbing
Step 1 - Start thread at the eye of the hook. Wind in touching turns back to mid shank.
Step 2 - Tie in a Type 4 (as per CDC feather chart by Hans Weilenmann*) tan CDC feather by the tip at this point.
* see CDC feather chart here: http://www.danica.com/flytier/articles/cdc_types/cdc_types.htm
Step 3 - Cover the CDC feather with close turns of thread back to the barb of the hook and then return to cover the small tip of the CDC feather and stop 1/3 of the shank from the eye. This will be your body length and the tie in point for the wings.
Step 4- Attach your hackle pliers to the butt of the feather and wind it forward towards the eye in touching turns. The first few turns of the CDC feather will not have any long filaments, but as you advance you need to fold those back as you wind. When you get to the thread secure the CDC with some tight wraps and remove the waste piece.
Step 5 - Prepare two hen pheasant feathers as pictured, the notch in the tip is optional. Measure these at the tie in point. They need to be one hook gap longer than the bend of the hook when tied in. Leave the stems on.
Step 6 - Align the two pheasant feathers tip-to-tip on top of one another. Place them carefully on the hook shank at the tie in point and tie them in making sure that they do not roll on the hook. Wrap your thread towards the eye with touching turns, stop at the eye. Fold the two feather butts back and tie them down with close turns of thread moving back to the tie in point. Remove the waste butts.
Step 7 - Add a small drop of head cement at a point just behind the tie in point and smooth this out back to notch or 2/3 of the feather. This small drop of head cement helps to keep the feather shape. Note: use a small drop and do not overdo it or you will bleed glue into the CDC and render it useless. Let it dry for a minute.
Step 8 - After glue is dry, dub the thread with squirrel dubbing. I cut a chunk right off the hide, mix it by hand and offer it to the thread in a semi-course dubbing noodle.
Step 9 - Wind the dubbing forward to the eye and double whip finish to complete the fly.
Completed Korn's CDC Spent-wing Caddis
Part 2 - SBS variation for Korn's CDC Spent-wing Parachute Caddis
Using tying thread that can be split, tie the fly the same as above through Step 7 and then:
Step 8v - Attach a white CDC Type 3 (as per CDC feather chart by Hans Weilenmann*) feather to the top of the hook shank just in front of the feathers. Secure with several tight wraps and then fold it in half, upright and post it up as shown. Leave it long, we will trim it later.
Step 9v - Prepare one natural colored Type 1 or 4 (as per CDC feather chart by Hans Weilenmann*) CDC feather using the Marc Petitjean Magic Tool.
Step 10v - Insert the prepared CDC feather in the split thread and spin to create CDC hackle. Note: if you forgot or do not have thread that can be split then use a dubbing loop. It will work but can be bulky.
Step 11v - Wind the CDC hackle on the hook shank, not around the post. Wind behind post then in front of post while lifting fibers up, repeat, wrapping the CDC hackle to the eye. Tie it off with a double whip finish and trim thread. Trim parachute post.
Step 12v - Complete fly by trimming the underside of the fly flat. Remember this is what the fish see so cut away any unwanted CDC.
The completed Korn's CDC Spent-wing Parachute Caddis
About me: The great outdoors has always been a driving force in my life. I stumbled into fly fishing by going to a fly tying demonstration and was totally captivated by it. It wasn't long before I was casting and presenting my own hand tied flies to the local brown trout. These days you'll find me fly fishing our inland trout streams and tributaries in my home state of New York or in Yellowstone Country. I enjoy both the artistic skills of fly tying as well as the technical challenges of bringing the fish to hand. Fly fishing Yellowstone National Park and its surrounding waters has long been a dream of mine, not wanting to just visit the area but to find a way to truly participate and experience it through fly fishing. As a past fly fishing guide and current fly-tyer for Parks' Fly Shop in Gardiner Montana, I have found the pathway to realize my dream.
For more great info, check out:
Beginning Fly Tying | Intermediate Fly Tying | Advanced Fly Tying.