CDC hackle help

[christy27]

Just got myself a new book, Tying Flies with CDC. First fly I came to is called moustique. It's basic enough as you would expect in the first few pages.
The tail and the body are easy peasy, then I came to the hackle .

It looks straight forward enough, tied in by the tip, feather brushed backwards and wind on as normal, stroking it back as you go to stop any overlap/trapping. The picture in the book shows the hackle tied really neat and uniform just like any other hackle. Mine looks like Father Jack on a bad day . Looks like it's been electrocuted.

Any ideas?

Chris.

[brownsville]

You need a feather with a thin, pliable stem but plenty of even length fibres near the tip. Even then it isn't easy, I had a few goes but felt I was wasting feathers.

There are easier and more efficient techniques for a beginner, myself included, flip to Hans Van Klinken's chapter.

[roll cast]

2 options, spin the hackle into a dubbing and then cut out the stem

or

Just get a petitjean tool like I did and don't look back

[flyfisherlady]

Cut slits into foam and get a bull dog clip. Lay feather flat over the slit, press stalk into the slit. grab the tips with bull dog clip, you can then trim the bottom of the feathers neatly and evenly giving you an even hackle.

This is the budget version of a petijean tool.

[christy27]

Thanks folks. I have a bull dog clip (forgot why I bought it all those months ago ), I'm going to try that. It's not easy this stuff is it!

Chris.

[brownsville]

The moustique has a stem-wound head hackle though, it gives a different effect to a dubbing loop or split-thread.

Got me at it now, having a go at the double-wound streamer on P. 62.

[sabsman]

My converted plastic hair clip CDC feather holder...rough as a bears a**e but works a treat for cutting CDC to put in a split thread



Mick.

[christy27]

Mmm lots of ideas. Thanks everyone. My brain is just about cdc'd out for one day. When my head hits that pillow in a min, I've 45 mins + of it all going round and round .

It may be a while before I post any photos .

Chris.

[brownsville]

There you go, had no yellow so red over caddis green.

[christy27]

Originally Posted by brownsville

There you go, had no yellow so red over caddis green.

Nice fly. Looks like I may have bit a bit more off than I wanted to chew with this one. Just been looking at Mr Petitjeans video. That magic tool helps that's for sure. I know plenty use them...are they easy to use? Any pro's or cons?

Chris.