CDC Simple Spey Fly

CDC Simple Spey Fly is a good choice for mid-summer clear flows.

CDC is very resilient in the currents and imparts a lot of movement to the fly.  The individual fibers trap air and take on a sparkling sheen. With the air comes buoyancy, which keeps the fly near the surface. This is a great fly for fishing broadside, greased line style. It is a great style of fly for mid to late summer season when fish are turning dour to more conventional presentations.

Pattern: CDC Simple Spey
Hook: #6 Alec Jackson Spey Hook
Tying Cement: Anglers Corner Water Base Head Cement
Thread: 8/0 black
Tail: none
Tag: flat silver mylar
Rib: medium-fine oval silver tinsel
Body: purple STS Dubbing
Palmer Hackle: fluorescent red Select CDC plume
Front Collar Hackle: dyed orange guinea
Head Cement: Anglers Corner Water Base Head Cement

This fly can be tied in many color combinations.

Select out the best CDC feathers to fit your task and lay out the rest of your materials and all your tools.

Place the hook in the vise/

Start the thread and wrap back toward the bend of the hook.

Attach a strand of #14 flat Mylar with the silver side against the shank.

The tag should begin approximately in line with the front of the barb.

Attach a strand of medium-fine silver oval tinsel.  This will become the rib that holds the CDC spey hackle in place.

Add a thin body dubbed from purple STS Dubbing.  The best effect is to dub the body thin and loose.

Trim the CDC feather so as to have long barbuals at the front of the fly.  Tie the CDC feather to the front of the body, on top of the hook. Grasp the tip with your hackle pliers.

Palmer wrap the Feather to the rear of the hook.  Be sure to make the wraps evenly spaced.

Anchor the tip of the feather with a wrap of oval silver tinsel.

Weave your tinsel wraps through the palmered hackle, thus securing it to the body of the fly.

Continue to the front of the body and trim off the tag end of the tinsel.

Strip one sid of an orange dyed guinea feather and tie it in by the tip.

Add three or four wraps of guinea for a collar hackle.

Finish with a small tapered head. Preen and separate all of the feather and dubbing fibers.  Finish the head with cement.