Ask MidCurrent: How to Dry CDC Flies
Patterns such as the CDC Mayfly Emerger PMD and Emerger Caddis CDC (both from Fulling Mill) require a bit of extra care to keep them floating.
Question: I love to fish early spring hatches of blue-winged olives using flies tied with CDC, but after a while the CDC fibers get stuck together and I can’t get the fly to float well anymore. What’s the secret?
—Brennen M., Salt Lake City, UT
Answer: CDC (or cul de canard, which means “duck’s ass” in French) is a killer wing material because it looks very lifelike and allows for extremely delicate presentations. However, a CDC wing can be tough to manage once the fly has been soaked or slimed because the fibers tend to clump together, ruining both the fly’s profile and its buoyancy. Unclumping these fibers can be a pain in the cul. Doing it right is a four-step process.
Understanding CDC
Before diving into the restoration process, it’s important to understand what makes CDC special. These feathers come from the preen gland area of ducks and contain natural oils that make them water-resistant. (That’s part of the reason why, as Monty Python’s King Arthur knew, a duck floats.) More importantly, the fiber structure of CDC traps air, which aids flotation. However, these same properties mean that some floatants can actually hinder rather than help their performance. This is why you should never put gel floatant on CDC. Here’s how to dry your CDC wing and restore its effectiveness.
The Amadou Patch from Loon Outdoors is great for gently drying flies.
Step 1: Rinse It Off
If your CDC wing is clumping because of fish slime, some kind of goop, or just dirty water, you’ve got to clean it off. Simply cast your fly downstream—away from any fish you’re targeting—and then slowly strip it back under the surface. If that doesn’t do the trick, hold the head of the fly between your thumb and forefinger, and gently swish the fly back and forth in the water until you can’t see anymore gunk.
Step 2: Remove Any Excess Water
Because CDC is hydrophilic, it doesn’t actually absorb much water. You can start by making a couple short, sharp false casts, and then gently press the fly with a paper towel or a clean handkerchief. Don’t squeeze or rub the fly because you might damage the wing. Some anglers like to lightly press the fly between two patches of amadou, a spongy material derived from a fungus that absorbs water. (Several companies sell these amadou patches.)
Step 3: The Rubber-Band Trick
One of the most effective methods for restoring CDC involves vibrating the water off the fibers. You can use a rubber band, a loop of Hareline Life-Flex, or a specialized tool called a Fly Banjo. You simply hook the fly to the loop of material, pull on the leader fly to stretch the loop and put everything under tension, and then strum it with your finger. The fast vibrations cause the water to fly off the CDC fibers.
Step 4: Apply Desiccant
Now that your CDC pattern is almost completely dry, you should treat it with desiccant before you cast again. Every angler has their favorite desiccant—and they’ll talk your ear off explaining why it’s better than all the rest—but almost any will do the trick. Just make sure you do the quick, short false-cast thing again to shake off any excess desiccant.
Rotate Your Flies
There is often a point at which a CDC wing simply stops responding to the above steps; it’s simply too wet or gummed-up. At this point, rather than spend a lot of time trying to bring it back into shape, swap the fly out for another. If you like to use CDC patterns, always carry two or three of each fly; it saves time, which is vital if you’ve got rising fish in front of you.
