Bodkin / Patterns

March Brown CDC Emerger

Dry Fly · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Standard dry-fly or emerger hook, 12-14
  • Thread Brown 8/0 (70 denier)

Materials

  • Antron or Zelon (trailing shuck) Amber / brown z lon (small clump)
  • Fur dubbing (abdomen) Mahogany / brown (1 pinch)
  • CDC feather (wing) Natural dun cdc feather (1-2 feathers)
  • Fur dubbing (thorax) Dark brown dubbing (1 pinch)

How to tie it

  1. Start thread at the bend and tie in a sparse tuft of amber Zelon as a trailing shuck about half a shank long, then trim the ragged ends.
  2. Dub a slim mahogany abdomen forward over the rear two-thirds of the shank.
  3. Tie in one or two CDC feathers by the tips at the 65% mark so they sweep back over the body as a low emerging wing, tips reaching to the shuck.
  4. Dub a slightly fatter dark-brown thorax in front of the CDC to prop the wing up in the film.
  5. Whip finish a small head, no cement near the CDC, so it keeps floating.

Tying videos

← All fly patterns