Fly Tying Inventory
CDC Shuttlecock
This is the olive shuttlecock, an emerger for an olive mayfly hatch. A clump of natural CDC is tied at the eye and sticks up and forward like the feathers of a shuttlecock, holding the front of the fly in the surface film while the curved body hangs below it. The body is clear Uni-Mylar wrapped over yellow olive thread for a slim, segmented look, with a small thorax of fox squirrel dubbing and a touch of pearl or gold flash behind the CDC. Davie McPhail ties a large and a very small version. Tied here on size 14 and size 22 hooks.
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Materials
Tiemco 2487BL hook, size 22 (or Fulling Mill Short Shank Special, size 14, for the larger version)
14-22
UTC Ultra Thread 70 Denier, yellow olive
Yellow olive · 70 denier
Natural CDC feathers
Natural
Uni-Mylar, clear
Clear
Pearl or gold flash, at the thorax
Pearl or gold
Natural fox squirrel dubbing
Natural
How to Tie the CDC Shuttlecock
- 1
Step 1
For the size 14, start the yellow olive thread behind the eye and wrap a thin, even underbody back around the bend. Return the thread to the front.
- 2
Step 2
Stack the tips of the natural CDC feathers together and tie them in on top of the shank just behind the eye, with the tips pointing forward over the eye for the wing.
- 3
Step 3
Trim the CDC butts and bind them down with smooth thread wraps to keep the body slim.
- 4
Step 4
Tie in the clear Uni-Mylar behind the CDC and wrap it down the shank and around the bend, then back up to the front so the olive thread shows through as a segmented body. Tie it off and trim.
- 5
Step 5
Tie in the pearl or gold flash at the front of the body.
- 6
Step 6
Dub a small thorax of fox squirrel around the base of the CDC, working the flash in so a little sparkle shows. Keep the thorax short.
- 7
Step 7
Whip finish behind the eye and trim the thread.
- 8
Step 8
Check the length of the CDC wing and trim or pinch it back if it is too long for the hook size.
- 9
Step 9
Repeat the same steps on a Tiemco 2487BL in size 22 for a small olive, using pearl flash at the thorax.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1ph-stpRfs
Credit: Davie McPhail