Dyed cdc ?

[Beacon Beige]

Originally Posted by teuchter

Hi All
Just to chuck some 'oil' on the water. I asked the same question to Marc Petitjean over dinner this spring. His company prepares loads of the stuff for the fly tying market. He said that at first washing the feather loses about 20% of its natural oil..........in dying it loses about another 10%. So 30% gone from the natural if its washed and dyed. Marc recomends that some CDC oil is added to enhance the floating quality of the dyed feather.
In essence, stick to the natural if you want it to float without fiddling with it.
I disagree with the arguement that the fibrils are what keep the fly afloat.
Cheers
George Barron

George you tie some great flies mate - Was just reading some back issues of trout and salmon.

Col

[spidersplus]

George,

With respect - if it is the oil that keep CDC afloat, then why do patterns tied with CDC that get fish slimed and/or waterlogged sink?

The oil certainly helps with the hydroscopic nature of the feather BUT it has to be the structure that traps air bubbles that keep the pattern floating.

Take a look here for a more detailed explanation:-

http://www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/hwcdc/

Kind regards

[r ian]

Originally Posted by teuchter

Hi All
Just to chuck some 'oil' on the water. I asked the same question to Marc Petitjean over dinner this spring. His company prepares loads of the stuff for the fly tying market. He said that at first washing the feather loses about 20% of its natural oil..........in dying it loses about another 10%. So 30% gone from the natural if its washed and dyed. Marc recomends that some CDC oil is added to enhance the floating quality of the dyed feather.
In essence, stick to the natural if you want it to float without fiddling with it.
I disagree with the arguement that the fibrils are what keep the fly afloat.
Cheers
George Barron

This is what i was thinking,many thanks George ATB ian

[teuchter]

Many thanks BB
My wife puts it down to time wasted when I could have been getting on with other things..............cutting the grass, painting the shed etc.
Some nice patterns in future editions of FF&FT in Oct and Nov issues.
George

[Beacon Beige]

I will look out for them - Appreciate good tyings

Col

[teuchter]

Spidersplus

Without getting too technical, ( I'm a simple man ) The flies get waterlogged because thet get dragged subsurface by the weight of the nylon / fluoro or big wave action.............chuck them on the water on their own and they'd float all day. They're likely to get slimed up when catching rainbows ........browns don't seem to have the same effect on them. That said I would not argue with your reasoning..........only giving my opinion based on what little know. I was really only quoting what the main player in CDC for the world market told me when I asked the same question as posted at the start.
To confuse the issue further........... for my own flies I try to use CDC from diving ducks because I reason they need a stronger, more bouyant oil to handle the fact that they are totally submerged when feeding and surface feeder ducks only get a wet ****.
What science would make of that sense of reasoning I don't know.
George