Quote:
Originally Posted by rossa
Fishing wise if you didn't have a hackle and had some cdc instead, would it matter or is it a challenge to do the hackle on such a small hook?
Very good question rossa. Truth is, I'm not a big fan of CDC :o I appreciate it has good floatation properties, imparts very life-like movement and footprint, and lands extremely lightly but it just seems so very, very impractical on stream. The brooks, burns and streams I fish hold a good population of small trout, and a few 14-16" monsters :D And because these streams are very lightly fished, multiple strikes to a well presented fly should be expected. When fishing a hackled fly, treated with Dilly Wax, a quick rinse and a blow and I'm back fishing - not sure this is possible with CDC, and I'd rather not carry loads of treatments streamside. I'll typically have a single fly box (C&F midge), 7X, 8X and maybe 9X tippet, Dilly Wax and mud, micro forceps and clippers and my licence and permit. All fit in a couple of pockets. It's fly fishing decoded to the very bare essentials.
Hackle is also incredibly robust - more so when tying as a RPE. This pattern is indestructible - 20+ fish per fly is entirely realistic. Roy invited a spectator at last years Lough's Agency Fly Fair to take a #20 RPE to the car park and grind it in to the car park gravel underfoot for 5mins then return to his bench. The fly was still fishable. That kind of design really appeals to me :ugeek:
That all said, I'd love to hear the case for CDC, cos I constantly wonder if I'm missing something... but beyond the tying bench, I'm not sure it offers more than hackle or snowshoe hare's foot on these streams...
Thanks,
Andy