CDC is promoted as having advantages because of the natural oils in the feather. They are available in various colors which are obviously dyed. Am I correct in concluding that the dying process removes these oils? Also, I believe Hans W. has has classified the feathers based on shape etc. but how does this relate to the CDCs that are listed specifically as “oiler puffs”?
Ray…this may or may not be part of your answer…it was in my first google on puffs…
"CDC Oiler Puffs
Dense CDC feathers are excellent for tying any small dry fly or midge.
Perfect feathers for tying small dry and midge fly patterns, CDC Oiler Puffs are finer in diameter and more dense than standard CDC feathers. Oiler Puffs make excellent under wing feathers. In tan, olive, white, dun, black."
I asked about the puffs in a thread long ago and what I took away was… they are so small that they don’t add to flotation an anything but really small flies.
As far as your dying and loss of oil question I have wondered the same but have noted that the CDC experts will say it’s the barbule structure that really adds the flotation…also you can add…I think it’s a Frog Hair CDC oil for flotation.
heres a link that explains cdc feathers. http://www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/hwcdc/
basically the feathers have small barbs that catch air bubbles and keep it floating. if you put floatant on cdc it will mess up the feathers barbs and it won’t catch the air bubbles and it won’t float. you shouldn’t need floatant. just wash the fish slime off it and false cast it a few times and it should be good. you can use the oil or some dry desicant floatant like frogs fanny on cdc too I believe is the best because it helps create air bubbles too…
From "C.M.K. Flies:
"About CDC feathers
A few words about CDC flies and CDC material in general.
As already advertised we are the first company in the world which has been using CDC material, since 1949.
There are a few things you should know about CDC:
The feathers are collected around the oil gland of the duck. It does not mean that oily aspect is the main factor of floatability.
The main reason these feathers float, is their structure ? in other words, the multitude of fibers and ramifications.
Somehow they float better when degreased?..we use shampoo on the raw material, when we receive it from the slaughter.
The other aspect to be taken in consideration is the efficiency of the feather. This comes from the fact that the multitude of fibers (some of them floating and some penetrating the surface), remain soft and supple and practically in permanent movement.
The very small ramifications on each side are by far more attractive than the hackle fibers and very similar to the insect legs.
By the way, you do not need chemical substances to improve floatability ? the best you can do is to dry the CDC fly with an AMADOU patch.
The CDC is very often too soft to provide complete satisfaction and perfect holding.
The ideal dressing is always made with another support, in general cock hackle or other soft hackle (partridge, grouse, etc); sometimes synthetic fibers or deer hair can be of a certain help.
This is valid for all types of dressing:
Vertical : mayflies, caddis hackles
Horizontal : Caddis wings , CDC papchutes
Oblique : Comparadun CDC
Such dressing allows the fly to conserve the initial shape and not to be transformed in a shapeless creation.
This is valid for any ??straight ?? dry fly ?but can be alternated in the case of ?emergers?.
The emergers are by definition, unfinished flies, imperfect yet creatures, sometimes insects dying in the surface because the water surface is covered by pollution fall out
Shapeless can be the right shape, the effective dressing."
The arguments about whether the oil or the barbule structure
are the main reason for flotation are endless and have
been around for some time.
I have decided that the untreated CDC is best for floatability,
and the dyed CDC is more suitable for soft hackles (ultra-soft?).
Using CDC for spiders is getting quite popular over here.
There was an excellent article in the June 2005 edition of
‘Fly Fishing & Fly Tying’ by Sandy Nelson.
If anyone drops their E-mail address into my PM,
I shall send a copy.
thanks fer posting this… read over the link & learned a little that i didnt know…
I agree with Donald, I never use anything but natural undyed cdc for a wing, any dyed stuff is sub surface stuff and i recommend you try some on damsels etc. killer stuff with confidence.
Hello,
First to reply to the question of CDC puff, they are small feathers (1/2" to 3/4") which are directly around the tip of the preen gland. They have no rachis and can be used on small flies as wing. Being on the preen gland, they are often saturated with CDC oil.
The question of dyed CDC flotability against natural unwashed CDC is asked regularly.
As already said in previous post, it is more the feather micro-structure which make the feather float than the oil. Further, the oil on the natural feather degrades rather quickly (oxygen and light) and wouldn’t help.
And finally, you can use floatant with flies: CDC oil is one (use very very little) and hydrophobic powder is another.
For more info,: http://www.pechetruite.com/Boutique/cul-canard-feather.htm
I use white CDC for my wings, mostly on small midge patterns. I strip the barbules off the feather and tie them in the same way I would the deer hair for the CDC and Elk. Trim the front segment to a “head” and then trim the back even with the bend of the hook. This floats flies up to a size 18 without a problem. Like any other CDC pattern, I have to dunk it in something like Frog’s Fanny, after a couple of fish.