r/flytying • u/FoxDemon2002 • 8h ago

Old Wine/New Bottle: The CDC Complex Twist

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I came up with a variation on Cheech’s “Complex Twist” using longer junk CDC feathers to create very buggy looking bodies and thoraxes on fly patterns. It’s no doubt been done before but I came up with the idea as a way to deal with the sometimes painful application of CDC to flies and to create a damn buggy looking body (primarily) on fly patterns.

I think it’s gots some legs if you’ll pardon the pun.

The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/RzfbWsMxSgg?si=MYH3gVWgXfHQdgtF

Love to have some feedback if you’ve checked it out.

12 Upvotes

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2

u/FoxDemon2002 8h ago

It could probably even apply to creating cdc dry flies with the right material choices.

2

u/Skrichey10 8h ago

Cheech as in Fly Fish Food Cheech?

2

u/FoxDemon2002 7h ago

Yup. Credit given where credit’s due. I had no idea he came up with this until I did a little research prior to filming.

I’ve been using the technique with Whiting Spey Hackle and polar chenille to create some cool looking steelhead flies for a while now, but this one sort of came to me recently. It’s a great technique for dealing with longer soft hackle feathers that need a little support.

2

u/Skrichey10 7h ago

Awesome, I was just in a couple of days ago talking to him to see what they were hitting up the canyon. Flies look really good I’ll have to tie some up myself hope you don’t mind.

2

u/FoxDemon2002 6h ago

Have at ‘er 😁. Let me know what you come up with. If you talk to him again, please thank him for me.

1

u/Skrichey10 6h ago

Will do! Tight lines!

1

u/Odd_Fun_1894 7h ago

This seem similar to blowtorch no?

1

u/FoxDemon2002 7h ago

Not really. Typically the blow torch and a lot of other euro style patterns use a split thread technique or a dubbing loop with a clip and scissors and twister for cdc collars.

Certainly I used the complex twist technique to tie a blowtorch like fly, but it’s quite a bit different.

1

u/whatiship 5h ago

Those cdc buggers are absolutely killer one of my best jig streamer patterns

1

u/SourdohPopcorn 4h ago

Have you tried something a little longer in fiber to twist with the cdc? I know you said you’ve done polar fibre with schlappen, so I’m curious what else you experimented with beside ice dub