How Much CDC???

I have been told that CDC floats like a cork, when I tried it, it floated like a rock. How much should I be using.

I am tying a Midge using a size 20 daiichi 1120 scud hook

silk thread which I have been waxing with bees wax for the body and CDC for the wing.

The CDC is Pros choice, Preen oil treated

thanks for any help

Eric

Eric,

This is one of those, ‘it depends’, questions. Depends on the quality of the CDC, depends on the type of CDC feather, depends on the hook (how heavy), depends on where and how the CDC is mounted on the hook, depends on the dubbing material and how much water it absorbes, etc., etc., etc. Sounds like you’re doing everything you can to minimize the water in the materials issues.

I’ll use any where from one to four feathers (sometimes more, depending on what I’m trying to tie). I like CDC but it’s not endowed with magical or mystical properties that will allow it to float in, on, and through every condition. I still find it benifits from some type of treatment and my personal preference is to use fumed silica, otherwise know as “Frog’s Fanny”.

Eric -

The loop wing emerger pattern in the photo is very similar in size to the fly you described - tied on a size 20 Dai-Riki 125 which is a 2X short hook.

For that fly, I used one natural dun CDC feather from a bunch given to me by a hunter. It is what I consider very high quality CDC. Tied it in by the tips, looped it over and tied it off.

I’ve only fished this pattern once. I fished one for about half an hour and caught a half dozen whitefish on it. It stayed afloat between fishies with only a minimum of false casting and / or blowing on it to dry it out, and I think it will probably go catch a few more fishies before it is done. The tailing and body are CDL which do contribute positively to floatation. That was on some pretty flat water with a steady current.

Further along the spectrum, this is a size 16 Harrop’s Henry’s Fork Caddis.

This biot bodied and fairly heavily hackled pattern uses three CDC feather for the wing. It does float well. A couple years ago, I fished a single fly in this pattern on a small stream and caught 35 smaller bows and brookies before it failed to fish dry. I’ve fished it a number of times for larger fish ( including some good sized bows on the Henry’s Fork ) and it consistently takes a good number of fish before it needs to be put away. This fly has fished on some pretty rough water with no letdown in floatation.

Both these flies, like just about everything else I fish, are fished off a furled leader that does not float. The leader submerges as does the tippet, but it doesn’t sink even the little midge loop wing emerger.

John

P.S. The Harrop’s pattern is also a great fly when tied with a dark deer hair wing instead of CDC. One creek I fish, the cutts don’t seem to want to look at the CDC version, but go crazy for the deer hair version. Some places, either version works equally well.

Thanks for the replies, pictures helped a lot, will have to take them down to the water once the season opens and see what is what.

Eric

I don’t know for sure, but I was told by an oldtimer to never put dressing (floatant) on CDC. Jim

Fer sure, don’t put regular flotant on it - you must use some kind of dessicant powder, or tiemco “dry gel”.

A very small amount of Loon Aquel will enhance floatation of some CDC’s. Drying agents ( I believe dessicants is the proper term ? ) are used by some folks, and I think there are a couple other products on the market to lengthen CDC’s floatation life. The better the CDC, the less likely you’ll have a need for any kind of floatant or drying agent.

A highly absorbent chamois or similar material can also be used to reduce, if not eliminate, some of the water that wants to collect on it by firmly pressing the fly in a fold of that material.

The Harrop’s Henry’s Fork Caddis tied with high quality CDC has never needed any kind of assist, other than false casting and an occasional puffing on it, to keep it going for a long time.

John

If you do use the liquid floatants, only use it once - when the fly is complete dry. If you use it one a fly that has some moisture in it, the liquid will seal in the water and make it more difficult to float.

After you’ve use the floatant, use the dessicant to dry it after than. We call it “shake and bake!” It’s awesome stuff and is simply silica powder. Don’t need to get any more complicated. Hope that helps.

And good CDC does help a fly float, but it is a feather and will sink if it gets soaked.

Ron

Another thing that might help floatability is to make sure you’re not using any of the stems of the cdc. I get two feathers, put them together curvature side down, grab the tips and pinch while pulling back the remainder of the feather towards the butt. I then clip off about 1/4 inch of the tip, hold both feathers in the middle and stroke upper feather forward. You should have a good bit protruding over the stem. That’s the tie in point. Make sure you don’t capture the stem when tying in. Clip off, and repeat. Using this method allows you to use the entire cdc feather, provided they are large enough. You can easily trim your cdc to size/shape. I’ve tied comparaduns that range in sizes 14-24. I always use frog’s fanny/fumed silica when fishing cdc.

Hope this helps.

Great, thanks for the help everyone, lots of good information.

Eric

Just another thought, isn’t the 1120 a heavy wire hook? You might try a light wire scud hook.

As CDC comes from a duck’s butt, why doesn’t it matter which specie of ‘duck butt fuzz’ you use? No difference in it? Can’t believe that. :slight_smile:

Soooo, is a duck’s butt watertight or does the CDC keep him afloat? Just askin.

Regards Mike