CDC Mistake Fly

[marmalade]

Emblodened by recent successes on large hooks, I decided to tie a reverse parachute (C eitsirhC yoR) on a size 16.

I love reverse flies: every time I whip finish by the head I seem to end up with a head big enough to pass for a moose with pretty much every feather on the hook sticking out.

With a reverse fly the finish is concealed: you whip, cut the thread and then sort the hackle and all the amateur tying gets covered up.

I recently got a whole load of really good advice on how to tidy up head mess from this forum. I really tried to follow it all, but a reverse fly still works better.

And reverse flies have a tricksy technique that when achieved can only be applauded by the clink of ice in a good stiff gin.

So, embloldened, I loaded up a size 16 Grip and set to work, using my favourite body, stripped hackle stem, my favourite tail, pheasant, and my favourite silk, which is whatever happens to be on the bobbin.

In between a one-year-old and a phone call I managed to get the loop tied with the minimum of silk wraps and no twist. In between a one-year-old's head in the fire and hand in the hifi I managed to trim the thread.

And in between everything I forgot to tie in a hackle. And that's the problem with tricksy flies. There's always something else to tie in.

So rather than give up and strip the fly, I stuck in a fistful of hyper-expensive but excellent Swiss CDC from Phil at Flytying Boutique (who just got married ten minutes ago and will probably be in the dog-house by now happily tying to his heart's content safe in the knowledge he'll never have sex again).

I'm rather pleased with the result:



I have to admit, though, I've seen a similar fly from biggoodtroutfisher..

I tried tying another couple, one using split thread for the CDC. Not so good.

And when you look at the fly you need to pretend that the body is actually joined to the thorax.