X Factor.
This is a dry fly that took form in my head over the last couple of seasons.
I have tried it a couple of times, this season, with lots of success. maybe a little bit of tweaking, before it is perfect.
It sits beautiful on the water, floats like a cork, easy to see and after the landing a fish, easy to dry.
Recipe
Dry fly hook #12 to 20
Thread light cream to dark brown, depending on the color you want to tie
Tail Cock De Leon
Ribbing: thin flash or tinsel
Dubbing: Antron in matching color
Thorax: 1 cdc feather stripped of the barbs.
Wings: 2 x Matching cdc feathers.
Method
Tie in the CDL tail barbs
Tie in the ribbing
Dub thread and tie to about three quarters of the hook shank.
Tie in the ribbing.
Now the tricky part comes in.
I tie the X Factor in 2 slightly different ways.
1. With the 2 Cdc Feathers on top of the shank
2. With teh 2 CDC feather below the shank.
Top method first.
Tie one CDC feather with a 45 degree angle over the shank and also a 45 degree angle from above the shank to below the shank with only 2 FIRM THREAD WRAPS. With about 2,5 times the length of the final length of the wings, sticking out, above the hook shank.
Tie the second CDC feather in the opposite direction, at 45 degrees across and 45 diagonal from the top to below the hook shank, ALSO WITH ONLY 2 FIRM WRAPS. With about 2,5 times the length of the final length of the wings, sticking out, above the hook shank
The reason for the firm wraps, is so that you can slide/pull the CDC feathers into position.
Looking from the front and top, the CDC feathers will be forming a X, with the tips above the hook shank and the tips below the hook shank.
It is important to keep the CDC feathers parallel to each other.
Now, gently pull the ONE feather, down, until the wing is in position, and the right length. Do the second feather.
This is a bit tricky and takes some practice, as the feathers do have a bit of torque and move around, sometimes, out of the “parallel” planes to each other.
Once in the right position, slightly tilted backwards, tie in with figure 8 wraps. PLUS a couple around the back and front of the CDC feathers. Use the thread to get the feathers, parallel to each other.
Keep the CDC feather tips below the hook shank, you trim that off last. (or I do) Because it uses a lot of thread wraps, the will be “empty” thread section around the base of the wings. Use the barbs of the stripped CDC feather, dub on the thread and wrap around the base of the wings.
Take one of the CDC feathers sticking out, under the hook shank. I like to bend the feather so that the quill, stem sticks out nicely and trim the STEM ONLY, as close to the hooks shank off, leaving the CDC barbs on the stem. The barbs will be must “looser” around the stem. Cut the barbs, as close to the stem off.
If you have a rotation vise, tilt up side down, and repeat with other stem/quill.
Tilt fly right way up. Pinch all the CDC barbs in the thumb and fore finger and pull down wards. Cut with scissors, 1,5x the gape of the hook.
With the CDC feathers below the hook shank the fly sits a little different in the water. I am still not certain which way gives the best results. You can also trim the CDC Barbs shorter than the suggested method.
Remember, CDC barbs below the hook, puffs out like pompoms, when cut. You can trim the abhorrent barbs out.
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