What to do with CDC leftovers?

[beeber2]

I have tied a lot of cdc emergers using the tips of the cdc feather. Are there any good uses for tip-less feathers? I have a whole bunch.

 

[afishinado]

beeber2 wrote:
I have tied a lot of cdc emergers using the tips of the cdc feather. Are there any good uses for tip-less feathers? I have a whole bunch.

Don't throw them away. You can cut the fibers off the stem using your fingers to hold them perpendicular, but small paper clip works well for that purpose. The CDC fibers can then be used for wings on small downwing flies (I tie adult midges and midge pupa using them) and small comparadun style flies. The CDC fibers also they work well for loopwing emergers.

 

[Stevie-B]

Which size CDC feather are you using? If you are using the long (size 2 I think) then you can make a killer caddis pattern. Just dub a body, pull the CDC fibers from the stem and tie them on top, then add your elk or deer hair for the overwing. If the CDC is long enough, you could tie it in by what's left of the tip, wind it forward to make a body then add the elk/deer hair. Just Google CDC and elk caddis.

 

[beeber2]

Stevie, it was a trouthunter bulk pack. They were mostly long feathers.

Thanks afish and Stevie. Good suggestions so far. I had no intentions of throwing them out, I was just looking for a way to put them to use.

 

[delta_dog]

CDC also makes great dubbing for dries and nymphs.

 

[gaeronf]

Yep. I agree with delta. I love using cdc as dubbing. Just strip it off the stem and dub. Really buggy effect.

 

[ryguyfi]

You can also add it as a wing case or like a collar to nymphs. It'll capture bubbles when submerged which helps imitate nymphs pretty well.

 

[LongLineRelease]

Strip them from the stem and put them in a dubbing loop for a collar, legs, CDC & elk, etc. Also, make dubbing as suggested.

 

[sandfly]

bill, they are no good, send them up here i'll dispose of them..

 

[beeber2]

Nice try Bob!

 

[BelAirSteve]

If you have a magic tool, you can do all sorts of things with the long CDC fibers. As others have said, you create what is essentially a dubbing look, then trim them down to a tapered body.

I have also used CDC on soft hackles - the fibers create good motion and trap air bubbles, which allow you to fish the soft hackle to rising fish upstream that might be taking emergers.