CDC Nymph

Originator: Darryl Lampert
Tyer: Warren Prior

Description: A hugely capable nymph tied using a tungsten bead and a single CDC feather. I've also tied them very successfully using marabou.

Step 1:

Start off by selecting a hook and a tungsten bead of the appropriate size and colour. Thread the bread onto the hook and secure the hook in the vice. Attach your cotton to the hook and wind it down to the bend where you will tie in the tail.

Step 2:

Select a CDC feather and secure it to the hook using the pinch method, thereby creating the tail. As an approximation the tail should be roughly the length of the hook shank.

Note: I've had great success tying these flies using marabou instead of CDC.

Step 3:

Using either your hackle pliers or fingers wrap the feather up the shank of the hook to form the body.

You can either wrap the cotton up the hook before or after this step. Doing it afterwards (as I've done here) allows you to tie down the body securely. Doing it before will leave more fibres free. The decision is yours.

Step 4:

Wind the cotton up over the newly formed body thereby firmly securing it. Once you've secured the feather you can cut off any excess. Try to be careful during this process so as to trap as few of the feather's fibres as possible.

Step 5:

Finally tie off the fly using your preferred method. In this instance I used a hitch and no glue as it's a small fly and glue would have probably gotten onto the feather's fibres.

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