Do oiler puff fibers float as well as regular CDC feather fibers?
Joe
Hans? Oh, Hans, where are you when we need you?
In a word, yes. I don’t use them that much because I just use regular cdc. When I do use puffs I use them for posts on emergers, klinks and some parachutes.
Yes. Puffs float much better in my opinion.
So…for tiny (#22-#26) CDC Comparaduns oiler puffs would be great? I find them easier to manipulate in those sizes.
Thanks.
Joe
They do float well, but the regular feather has a center stem, with fibers coming off at nearly a right angle, so it traps air well. The puffs seem to clump together faster when wet or fish slimed, but squeezing the water out, and brushing in a little dry dessicant powder of choice, rescues them well.
Here is Hans:
http://globalflyfisher.com/tiebetter/tying-with-cdc/
In my experience, puffs do not float as well as the CDC feather. I primarily use them for patterns I fish sub-surface like an RS2. In any case, if there is a desire to use puffs, use more than one. Rene Harrop once remarked that most tiers do not use enough CDC when tying patterns that incorporate CDC feathers…
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](http://s305.photobucket.com/user/planettrout/media/Michael Tule River/ju-ju-rs-2-baetis-uv-2-1_zps8fb0e2b7.jpg.html)
JUJU (UV 2) RS-2 EMERGER (Baetis, Gray/Olive)
PT/TB
I would respectfully disagree with that. I specifically use puffs (sometimes doubled) on many patterns in which the sizes fits the application, because I’ve noticed the opposite. 
But that’s just the opinion of one tyer to another. I do agree with Rene Harrops remarks though.
Ralph