Bodkin / Patterns

Harrop's CDC Thorax

Dry Fly · Emerger · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Tiemco 100 standard dry-fly hook, #16-20
  • Thread Olive (match the hatch) 12/0 (Veevus)

Materials

  • Thread Olive Veevus 12/0 (1 spool)
  • Tail Medium dun Microfibetts (split) (2-3 per side)
  • Abdomen Olive-dyed turkey biot (1 biot)
  • Wing post 2 natural dun CDC feathers (2 feathers)
  • Hackle Blue-dun rooster (dry-fly) hackle (1 feather)
  • Thorax BWO olive Superfine dubbing (pinch)

How to tie it

  1. Lay a thread base to the bend; tie in split dun Microfibett tails (a small dubbing ball splays them), each about one shank length long.
  2. Tie in an olive-dyed turkey biot at the tail and wrap forward to the 65% point for a slim, segmented abdomen.
  3. Tie two dun CDC feathers in as a single upright post at the 65% point, then tie a blue-dun hackle in at the base of the post.
  4. Dub a Superfine thorax around the base of the post. Wind the hackle 4-5 turns thorax-style around the post and through the thorax; tie off.
  5. Trim the hackle fibers flush across the BOTTOM of the fly so it rides low with the biot body flush in the film. This bottom-trim is the signature of the Thorax Dun.
  6. Whip finish behind the eye and cement the thread.

Tying videos

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