The pattern notebook · dry
Crippled CDC & Elk
How do you tie a Crippled CDC & Elk?
Crippled CDC & Elk is a dry fly pattern for trout. Find its 4 materials and 18 tying steps below.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5
- Target species
- trout
- Pattern designer
- Bruce Salzburg
Added to catalog · Updated
At the vise
Materials
- Hook: Tiemco 2499SP #10-20 (or similar light to medium wire scud hook)
- Thread: Benecchi 12/0, tan
- Body/legs: CDC, natural
- Wing/thorax: Deer hair
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Tying instructions
Place the hook in the vise and attach the thread near the eye.
Wrap the thread down the hook shank to the bend.
Select a single CDC feather, stroke the barbs up, and bunch the tips.
Tie in the CDC feather at the hook bend with 2 wraps.
Make a third wrap underneath the feather to lift up the tips, and a fourth wrap over to lock it down.
Wrap the thread forward to just short of the eye.
Clip on hackle pliers to the CDC feather and wrap it forward, stroking the barbs back with each turn.
Continue wrapping the CDC feather until the thread is reached, then tie it off.
Clip the excess CDC feather.
Stack deer hair in a hair stacker and even the tips.
Remove the deer hair from the stacker with the tips pointing over the hook eye.
Tie in the deer hair with one and a half turns, then tighten.
Complete the second and third turns.
Lift up half the deer hair and then the other half to separate it.
Make the tips face over the eye and lift up the butts.
Come in with scissors and snip the butts to create a shoulder.
Perform a three-turn whip finish.
Clip the thread.