My FIRST STEP (by step)
Blame Buzz he could do this much better. I ' ll use light er dubbing than I like so its easier to see Dont worry about the fibre length as these get trimmed back
I will do the 18 rather than the 28 which you would never see behind my thumbs... however it does make any easy and effective small fly .......more on that later
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/SNB14067.jpg)
Basic materials Dark 8/0 uni (or finer)
quite wide gape hook.
Dubbing which wets( hares ear, pine squirel etc) for this i have used grey rabbit and Mole mixed.. You just need some thing to pull the body into the miniscus.
Three plumes of even lengthed mallard CDC.( I used four on this as two were quite skinny)
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/SNB14082-1.jpg)
The usual start then feed the dubbing on with small pinches of tight skinny wraps, The skinnier the better and the more control you will have! I use about 5 inches of fine dubbing for this.
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/SNB14089.jpg)
Wrap it up really close to the eye. Leaving a few inches of dubbing to build up thorax.
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/SNB14070.jpg)
This is the shape of the wraps without the dubbing on showing the shape of the thorax to kick the shoulder out.
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/SNB14093.jpg)
Build up the thorax then trim any of the long dubbing fibres back to the fly to give it a narrow shape.
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/SNB14099.jpg)
Position the CDC and tie in at the postion you would normally whip finnish the head.
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/SNB14101.jpg)
pull back the cdc and give about ten wraps at the 'Head' to help push the plume back.
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/SNB14102.jpg)
Run a Posting thread around the plume to help set the angle of the plume
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/SNB14108.jpg)
Give a few securing wraps and whip finnish ( either varnish thread and whip if you like personally i just leave a few mm tag to stop it unravelling)
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/SNB14105.jpg)
Trim the butts of the CDC shoulder at an angle to achieve the right shape.
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/SNB14107-1.jpg)
Cut a few mm back off the cdc plumes to the length your happy with. I like them quite short
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/finnishedfly.jpg)
And then tidy up this mess with some scissors .
Cast it upstream in the food lane.... this is the size 28 if you can make it out on the photo I am sure you would have been able to see it in the stream.
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/inthefoodlane-1.jpg)
Then catch a wee fish with it That little fly will make it look like a giant!
(http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/whingeingpom/mataura%20emerger%20step%20by%20step/trout.jpg)
Easy!
A great contribution WP. Many thanks for that.
Nice uncomplicated River Fly WP,
Looks easy to keep track of on the water.
Thanks for sharing.
Sandy B.O.
Nice one WP, looks like one I could have a got at, not in size 28 though :shock:
I'm afraid I have been left confused by your posts that you weren't sure about doing a SBS, you're far too modest, that was as clear as day - will definitely be tying some of them up!
Great SBS WP; very clear to follow. I'll try with a 14 for a start though as anything on a 28 is pushing it for a beginner like me.
Nice to see an SBS going beyond the vice as well :)
Thanks
John
THanks. Great step by step.
Will give them a try, and another good reason to shoot a mallard next week
Tim
Quote from: Tim on August 23, 2010, 11:53:27 PM
THanks. Great step by step.
Will give them a try, and another good reason to shoot a mallard next week
Tim
Thanks for the kind comments everyone. The guy that showed me the pattern gathers his own CDC and sells it at A$500 per kilo to the japanese. Hopefully your tough scottish Mallards are more robust than the southern nancies down here. If so theres brass in that bum fluff.
As for the 28's its an old partridge pattern (vince marinaro). The numbers all get unrealistic down there, I have some teimco tmc 100's 24's that look smaller gaped but longer shanks, the point is that even on a 20 the fly is still about 1cm tall and is really easy to tie. Once you have mananged a 20- size then tying the 18's seem massive.
I believe from talking to people about the sizes of fly species, like BWO's, iron blues, SDO's and spurwings that upwing flies are smaller for the same species the further north they get , so i would guess it is worth getting your 'eye in' like Buzz and going for smaller flies
Great wee SBS there Pom.
Good on yer, Sport. :)
Quote from: whinging pom on August 24, 2010, 12:23:20 AM
Hopefully your tough scottish Mallards are more robust than the southern nancies down here.
It's the Buckfast wot done it guv :lol:
Nice one Pom, I could have done with some of those recently :roll:
Joe
QuoteIm always confused about the locaton of CDC and the preen gland ?
Run your fingers down the ducks back towards its tail and a couple of inches from the bottom you will feel a very distinct 'pimple' which is the preen gland - the CDC feathers are around it. I spend my winters haunting the sea marshes of Essex (its what passes for wilderness round here) and harvest the wild duck. Quantity is not huge...how much CDC to the kilo? I'd want $5,000 I think...but I do get quite a variety of species.
You will all have seen mallard CDC, widgeon is a bit darker, teal the same colour but smaller so good for little f-flies etc, Canada Goose huge and very light. I've also been experimenting with woodcock cdc. They have very few feathers, about 8 per bird, but they are perfect for sedge wings.
I'll try and be disciplined about CDC harvesting this winter and should then be able to offer some alternative species CDC to support forum funds.
Tim
Tim it would be great if there was a good 'fresh' source available here, as apparantly they do deteriorate quite quickly with age and your never sure how long the shop bought ones have been hanging about.
I have been trying Canada but havent really found its got much to offer ( for the types of paterns i use). i must check with David what he charges as thinking about it 1 kilo is a lot of feather!! is there a particular wild duck type that you prefer?
It would be really interesting to see some pictures of what you consider a really good CDC feather (I guess what i am saying is how to grade them... what to look for), as it seems that for most of us its a case of accepting what we are sold and not knowing any better.
Look forward to the exclusive Wild Fishing Primo Essex duck CDC available for this winters tying sessions. I'd certainly buy some.
That's interesting that CDC deteriorates over time. Bad news too, as some of flies don't see the light of day from one year to the next... they just wait quietly in my box for their day to shine. Perhaps I should focus on snow shoe or McFlylon type materials instead.
wp
Three important things for me with CDC...type, size and shade
Nearly all the CDC flies I tie are best with type 1 CDC - the ones with square ends. The only stuff I've bought is dyed and that tends to be mainly type 4 which has limited use. There seems to be a good proportion of type 1 feathers in wild stuff and if you've got lots of CDC you'll have enough of the right type.
Article on CDC types here: http://www.danica.com/flytier/articles/cdc_types/cdc_types.htm
Size - especially with the CDC and Elk, which is my staple, the length of feather is crucial. In smaller sizes mallard or domestic CDC is too big. A nice little teal CDC feather wrapped on a size 18 partridge with a pinch of bleached coastal deer hair = trout heaven.
Shade - widgeon tends to be lot darker, teal lighter so you get some options to match what's on the water.
I'll try and do some photos as winter progresses. Roll on Wednesday and the start of the duck season.
As for deterioration I just tend to use good fresh CDC and most of my flies are tied as needed and disposable. Most complicated CDC pattern I tie is a mayfly with deer hair tail, dubbed ribbed body, CDC wings and a grizzle hackle. Deadly but I'll just do half a dozen for the season.
Tim
Tim
Tim thanks so much for that link, It was reasuring that i was using the best bits and for similar uses.... some good tips on there also.
Now I think i may volunteer to do the brewing up for some of the local duck shooters, so I can get the pick of the teal and wigeon.... However I am still looking forward to Buying some wildfisher forum CDC ready for winter........from what i have seen of the local guys fly casting i have serious doubts about their shooting and will probably need a reliable source.
WP, Very nice fly. I wish I had a few for my trip this week. I am keen to give this a try next time on the river.
Thanks for the SBS. :D
Managed to get some of my first NZ CDC yesterday on the drive home. Came across a paradise duck that had tried to fight a car, a big duck but you do not get a lot of feathers, still it saved me $8! NZ is really a wonderful place for a fly tier who wants to do it on the cheap, not because fly tying material is cheap (its not) but because kiwi drivers swerve to hit every animal they can as they are all considered pests. Free materials of every sort imaginable. Got some great looking mottled feathers from the dukck too.
I had wanted to go out after some ducks but it turns out its not duck season for a good while yet. Interestingly there's a mallard population of around 4.5 million never mind the other birds! Rabbits are also a pest, they have a population explosion so loads of rabbit fur going around! Need to get out after some rabbits soon too.
Last time i was there I found a freshly stunned Kea, ( perfect for the original Mrs simpson) still warm, I got a few choice feathers but have kicked myself for not attempting to get the wings off or skin it and risk a divorce all in one morning.
(http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/129/cache/mountain-parrots-new-zealand_12908_600x450.jpg)
I lost count of the ammount of possums squashed after about half an hour out of christchurch.
And one night's 'lampin' with a farmer bagged 40 what i thought were rabbits, but were all hares.
Your right about fly tyers paradise.
The local pub in Mossburn have a 24 hour shoot up once a year where they go off and shout everything they see and bring them all back to the pub to pile them up. Bonus points are given for Pigs and particuarly tricky alpine goats, but no points for pets and farm animals thankfully.....it's actually quite horrific. ( but so many wonderful pelts and feathers).
I certainly wouldnt want to be anywhere near Mossburn in the open when after 18 hours the grog fueled yokels are shooting everything that moves in a last ditch attempt to win a slab of lager and a tray of steak and venison.
Funnily the event doesnt feature in the tourism leaflets.
Quote from: scotty9 on November 11, 2010, 11:13:20 PM
NZ is really a wonderful place for a fly tier who wants to do it on the cheap
Bob Wyatt told me he has a life supply of free hare's ears. The European hare is apparently considered to be such a pest in NZ they are shot on sight.
Quote from: whinging pom on November 12, 2010, 01:58:07 AM
Last time i was there I found a freshly stunned Kea
I haven't seen one of those yet, but Alex tells me they thrive on a staple diet of windscreen wiper blades, wing mirrors etc up at Fox Glacier.
QuoteThen catch a wee fish with it That little fly will make it look like a giant!
Never considered that before! I need to start tying smaller flies.
Quote from: admin on November 12, 2010, 09:43:19 AM
I haven't seen one of those yet, but Alex tells me they thrive on a staple diet of windscreen wiper blades, wing mirrors etc up at Fox Glacier.
You need to get yourself over to milford sound, loads of kea and amazing scenery also, and good fishing! They certainly have a taste for bits of your car! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McAKzFLv7sY
Not related to the mataura emerger but kind of to the end of this thread. I came across a freshly hit hare on the road the other day so I decided rather than let the animal go to waste I'd skin it. I got the mask and a nice large patch of its back to make some lures with I reckon. I cleaned off as much flesh as possible and stretched it and covered in salt, changed the salt a couple times and it seems to be drying nicely.
Does anyone have any tips on what to do from here? Might make a thread about this actually.
On the same trip we caught and ate a possum too, suprisingly not bad meat!
Nevermind, found the answer by searching :8) http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=12072.0