5 Tips for Tying Better CDC Flies
With: Lindsay Simpson
We caught up with Lindsay Simpson, a seasoned fly tier with decades of experience, to talk about one of the most versatile materials in fly tying—CDC. From boosting buoyancy to adding lifelike movement, Lindsay shares his best tips for using CDC effectively, when to skip it, and why it’s a must-have for emerger patterns. If you’ve ever struggled with CDC or want to up your fly-tying game, this one’s for you.
What are your 5 best tips for incorporating CDC into fly patterns?
Depending on the fly for example an emerging pattern I will use the best quality CDC I have. If I am incorporating CDC into a nymph small natural feathers will do the job.
Combine CDC with other materials like poly yarn or foam for added buoyancy. This combination can help enhance the fly’s visibility in different water conditions.
CDC is not only for dry flies, incorporating CDC into nymph patterns works well. It can trap small bubbles giving the fly a more lifelike appearance.
Where possible always select natural CDC, you might see lots of different colours and these look amazing. The dying process however really take the natural oil that makes CDC so buoyant out of the feather.
When working with CDC you need good clips. Save yourself the pain of going through all the cheap plastic clips, don’t bother with a bulldog clip either. Just pay the money and get the Marc Petijean Magic Clips. They are not cheap but trust me you will thank me later for this one!
How do you decide when to use CDC versus other materials, and what unique advantages does CDC offer in fly design?
CDC suits some flies perfectly and for my money there is nothing comes near this material for emerger style patterns. Depending on how many plumes you use you can get the fly to sit exactly how you want it on the waters surface. It pays to experiment with the number of plumes you use. It is not a material well suited to fast turbulent water. On slow glides or Stillwater though its hard to beat.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out with fly tying, especially when it comes to mastering the use of different materials like CDC?
If you are just starting out in fly tying you might want to avoid CDC initially until you become a bit more competent with the basics. Start with simple patterns and tie them often until you have mastered them. When you can do the basics in fly tying well you can start to work on other materials such as CDC. If you have friends that go duck shooting ask them to collect some CDC directly from the birds. When buying CDC get the best quality you can for your budget. When it come to tying you will be grateful you did.
Can you walk us through your process for creating a new fly pattern? What factors do you consider when choosing materials?
New fly is probably not the write phrase, I doubt there is anything new in fly tying anymore. With the rise of Social Media fly tiers have never enjoyed so much inspiration. So, what I do when I am coming up with a new fly is to borrow ideas and techniques from multiple other fly patterns. I then create the pattern to suit my needs. I am lucky that I have an extensive collection of fly tying materials gathered over 35 years. When choosing the materials for a fly I will consider size, colour and hook.
Kind Regards
Lindsay Simpson
