Isn't CDC wonderful? Take older ideas and jazz them up a bit and come up with a new creation such as this.

Assuming that you are all right handed which some of you are not!

Materials -

Hook - Kamasan B830 4X LS size 10
Head - 3mm Gold Bead
Thread - Medium Olive Danville Monocord
Tail/tag/vent - 2 Fiery Brown CDC puffs
Body - Stripped CDC from Wing
Wing - 5 medium sized Olive CDC feathers

You are not restricted to the above materials, be creative!

Step 1 - fit the gold bead to the hook and run touching turns to the end of the shank - do not secure the bead



Step 2 - tie in the 2 puffs, one on each side for the tail/tag/vent



Step 3 - tie in your ribbing material



Step 4 - or earlier if you wish, select 5 equal length and density CDC feathers in the colour of your choice



Step 5 - arrange the CDC with the straightest in the middle and the other pairs curving into the middle



Step 6 - transfer your hold on the feathers and strip off about 2cm of the lower fibres back to the base - keep these handy



Step 7 - clamp your feathers with a set of hackle pliers to stop them coming apart while you do the next step



Step 8 - wax your thread and form a thick dubbing rope with the removed fibres and flue from your wing feathers



Step 9 - wrap the body with it thickening to the head to give the classic carrot shape - return your thread to the tag area with very open turns



Step 10 - get a hold of your wing feathers and get ready to mount to the fly - separate the fibres above the point where the bottom ones have been removed



Step 11 - tie in the wing with a couple of turns of thread and tighten securely - I have found that there is a tendency for the CDC to twist with the rib only as it is quite wide



Step 12 - run the thread back to the head in open turns - this does not affect the body



Step 13 - you want to run the rib through the fibres seperating them as you go to give the classic Matuka look



Step 14 - tie in the stalks and rib and cut off excess just on the head so that there is a little bit protruding




Step 15 - push these protusions under the loose head with your thumb nail and whip finish the fly, varnish carefully to avoid the CDC



Step 16 - now you should have something resembling a Matuka Style Nymph. If not, start again!



As I have said before, CDC imparts a magical movement to any fly and there is no restriction to them being dries only.

__________________
Roddy

"Sod it! I am going out to sink a klink!"

I used a Matuka Badger I got from somewhere..it was mighty effective.

Can you tell me what the "Matuka" bit means?

Thanks.

__________________
Roy

royvs,

The proper spelling is Matuku and is the name of the (now very protected) bird whose feathers were initially used for the style of wing/tail.

The Matuku or Australasian Bittern, Botaurus poiciloptilus, also known as the Brown Bittern, is found in south-western and south-eastern Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Ouvea.

Matuka, with 'a' at the end, is the more commonly used spelling as has been adopted by flytiers the world over.

The name identifies the style of wing/tail which uses a ribbing material, generally tinsel or wire, which lashes down the part running along the body from hook eye to the hook bend. With the original feathers not available for use, the wing/tail is fashioned out of a variety of feathers, among them now CDC ;-)

One might argue that the Matuka style perhaps also served as the inspiration for the Zonker style of hairwing flies.

Cheers,
Hans

Thank you Hans.

__________________
Roy