I’ve been advised I need some #24baetis for a special trip this summer. I was also advised that I should BUY them. i saw hogwash! There’s no reason I can’t tie them…
However, I’m having a hard time knowing what to buy for hackle, insofar as size goes… for example, pre-sized hackle like Whiting’s 100s only go to size 20.
If i get a high quality cape, grade 1/A/gold, will it have appropriately sized hackle for tying these tiny flies? I’d hate to spend that kind of money and not get what I need, not that I wouldn’t eventually use it… while we’re at it, what about color also? Would Denny’s silver badger be appropriate?
Personally you would have to refer to what usually works where you will be fishing. I know you can buy half capes from whitings that will allow you to tie down past 24 sometimes into 30!!! But then again the majority of feathers will not be in your 24 range… yet again you dont need much hackle on a size 24 hook.
Yes capes from whitings… in my experience have feathers that small. Although it would be much cheaper for you to buy the flies in various colours and sizes.
I do not know where you are fishing and what the colour the fish like. But I like to follow the old addage, on a dark day a dark fly and on a light day a lighter fly… although this can be proven wrong many times over.
I tend to use natural colours like dun and black and brown mostly. Sometimes a ginger colour. I personally do not use badger very much at all.
i have seen little packages of hackle from metz and others at one of the local fly shops for 3.00 a pouch , which go all the way down to like a #26. kind of a ripoff for only like 4-6 pieces of 3-4 inch hackles though :?
Yet another firm selling the packet’s of presized is Ewing Feather Bird’s…and their cape hackle packets are solid quality stuff…and a good way to go if you are just getting into tying…or only tying a couple dozen flies…
Hmmm… very strange. I could swear there was a post by Pechetruite in this thread, suggesting the F-Fly as a suitable alternative pattern.
I typed up a response to the post, yet now the relevant post appears to have evaporated.
Still… let’s press on, and post anyway
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Pierre,
Marjan Fratnik’s F-Fly for sure is a quick-tie, very effective pattern. It does, however, in my mind have two flaws which need to be addressed to meet my 1. durablity, and 2. floatability, criteria.
The tying thread only body I do not find very durable. I will either totally omit the body (the difference between a thread covered shank, or a bare shank, with the backdrop of the CDC wing (as viewed from below) can hardly be described as earthshattering, or I will thinly dub the body which has for me proven much more durable.
The way Marjan ties in the wing looks and works great as long as the CDC barbs do not get saturated with fish slime, or indeed water. Once this happens the CDC collapses, and with it the wing, against the body. Rather than float, the F-Fly quickly trans-mutates into a sub-surface pattern. By changing the winging technique this behavior is easily averted, and the fly will float much better over longer periods of time.
Hello,
Yes, Hans, I posted a message about the F-Fly:
“For flies tied on hooks size 22 to 26, I would use F flies, body made of thread and a wing of CDC, they are easy to tie and very effectives”
As pointed out by Hans, the drawback is, they could quickly get waterlogged and be in or sub-surface.
I dry them in a paper towel and still tied to the tippet, I drop the fly in a small container with silica gel, 30 seconds and the fly is dry and fluffy, ready to cast.
By changing the winging technique this behavior is easily averted, and the fly will float much better over longer periods of time
.
Thanks to let us know the proper winging technique .
Cheers
Pierre
i suppose I didn’t look hard enough, or rather, the places I was looking online did not have hackle sized specifically #24 available.
I’ll look harder.
and thanks for turning me onto the F fly, and reminding me that there are non-hackled alternatives.
Hans - can you expound on how your winging techique is different? do it like the micro-caddis link to make the CDC stand more upright on the ‘stump’ instead of just tying it in rear-facing?
Hans - can you expound on how your winging technique is different? do it like the micro-caddis link to make the CDC stand more upright on the ‘stump’ instead of just tying it in rear-facing?
Yes, like shown and described for the CDC Micro Caddis. The angle of the CDC wing can be as low-sloping as you find with the F-Fly. The key difference is that the CDC butt stubs simply prevents the collapse of the wing onto the body. There is permanent separation.
I mostly tie and fish this style of fly on a curved hook (Tiemco 2488 or Mustad C49S) Using this style of hook will result in the wing lying flush in the film, and the abdomen angled down. Please note that this makes the design multi-purpose. Caddis dry, sure, but also a very effective mayfly emerger, or stillborn dun.
Why not tie up a couple, take them to the stream, and report back here how they did for you?
I have never been a big fan of CDC (as the sole floating material on the hook) because of maintanence issues. However, your micro caddis intrigues me and I definitely will try again with a CDC pattern! A very nicely engineered fly…
Besides Mole, do you have any other suggestions for dubbing that might have a similar appearance and action? I have beaver, muskrat, and rabbit for natural materials. And Flyrite and (name escapes me) the other popular brand, for synthetic “dry fly” dubbing.
Funny, I have never seen (noticed?) the micro-caddis pattern though I have spent much time on you Web site over the years. Thanks for pointing it out to me!
Hmmm… I feel we are hi-jacking the original thread (#24 hackles) somewhat, but what the heck
I have never been a big fan of CDC (as the sole floating material on the hook) because of maintanence issues. However, your micro caddis intrigues me and I definitely will try again with a CDC pattern! A very nicely engineered fly…
Thank you, good sir.
Besides Mole, do you have any other suggestions for dubbing that might have a similar appearance and action? I have beaver, muskrat, and rabbit for natural materials. And Flyrite and (name escapes me) the other popular brand, for synthetic “dry fly” dubbing.
For touch-dubbing the body you need a fine, short staple dubbing. Mole is just about perfect, but some other fine and short pelts are good also. Pine squirrel, for example, is a nice alternative (underfur only).
Or simply dub a very thin noodle, which allows the use of any fine dubbing mix.
Funny, I have never seen (noticed?) the micro-caddis pattern though I have spent much time on you Web site over the years. Thanks for pointing it out to me!
Hans: How can I get your directions on your CDC winging technique. I wasn’t aware of it. My big complaint with CDC is that it tends to lay down on the hook shank, but your method sounds like it certainly eliminates that problem.
Thanks
