CDC feathers Natural dun cdc feather (3-4 large feathers)
Tying thread (also the hot-spot head) Red thread (1 spool)
How to tie it
Start the red thread one eye-length back and lay a short smooth base to the 70% mark; the whole point of this fly is CDC and a red head, so keep the underbody tidy.
Stack 3-4 large natural CDC feathers on top of each other, tips aligned, and clip them into a dubbing loop by the tips so the fluffy fibers stand out sideways.
Spin the loop into a dense CDC brush, stroking the fibers back and out as you twist so they don't rope up.
Palmer the CDC brush forward in touching turns from the 70% mark to just short of the eye, sweeping the fibers rearward with each wrap so they lie back over the body.
Stroke all the CDC back and take 2-3 pinching wraps in front to flare the fibers up and back into a high, buggy silhouette one-and-a-half shank lengths long.
Build a short, deliberate band of bare red thread at the head as the hot spot, then whip finish. Skip the cement so the CDC stays water-repellent.