International Fly Fisher

Season Edition

Building Your Own Leaders

Dying Fly Lines

Dying CDC Feathers

Adding Removable Studs To Your Felt Soles

Secret Dry Fly Floatant From Argentina

Midges In The Snow

Death Of A Spring Creek

12 Pound Rainbows In The Shadow Of Glaciers

Destination England

Hooking Large Rainbows At 6 Degrees

Catching Atlantic Salmon On Dry Damsels

In View Of Bacon Ridge

Casting With Wolves

The Ghost Of Old Faithful Inn

Summer On The Test And Anton

Dying CDC Feathers

Bob Kloskowski

From the information that I have been able to gather, CDC feathers have been used as a fly tying material since before 1949. The feathers are harvested from around the preening gland of a duck, however this does not mean that the oily aspect is the main reason for it's floatability. The primary reason that these feathers float is their structure and their multitude of fibers. Another aspect to take into consideration is the efficiency of the feather which is derived from the multitude of fibers which remain soft and supple and nearly in perpetual movement.

The majority of CDC feathers that I use for tying come from wild ducks and range from a light gray to a very dark gray in color. Occasionally when I find the need for a slightly different color of CDC feather I use the following formula to strip the natural color from the feathers resulting in a beautiful light amber color.As structure is the main reason for their floatability the stripping process seems not to affect their efficiency.

CDC Stripping Color Formula:

Start with equal amounts of household ammonia and hydrogen-peroxide mixing them into a solution.

Immerse natural gray CDC feathers, and let it sit for a couple hours (or overnight)

Use outside, or in a closed container, as the fumes are not very healthy.

Rinse the feathers well in fresh water, and let dry. They should now be a beautiful light amber.

Remember that with CDC you don't need fly floatants or dressings to improve floatation. Just dry the feather thoroughly with an Amadou patch and it's as good as new.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this web site may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from Bob Kloskowski.

Copyright @ 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 by Bob Kloskowski


	Season Edition
Building Your Own Leaders Dying Fly Lines Dying CDC Feathers Adding Removable Studs To Your Felt Soles Secret Dry Fly Floatant From Argentina Midges In The Snow Death Of A Spring Creek 12 Pound Rainbows In The Shadow Of Glaciers Destination England Hooking Large Rainbows At 6 Degrees Catching Atlantic Salmon On Dry Damsels In View Of Bacon Ridge Casting With Wolves The Ghost Of Old Faithful Inn Summer On The Test And Anton		Dying CDC Feathers Bob Kloskowski From the information that I have been able to gather, CDC feathers have been used as a fly tying material since before 1949. The feathers are harvested from around the preening gland of a duck, however this does not mean that the oily aspect is the main reason for it's floatability. The primary reason that these feathers float is their structure and their multitude of fibers. Another aspect to take into consideration is the efficiency of the feather which is derived from the multitude of fibers which remain soft and supple and nearly in perpetual movement. The majority of CDC feathers that I use for tying come from wild ducks and range from a light gray to a very dark gray in color. Occasionally when I find the need for a slightly different color of CDC feather I use the following formula to strip the natural color from the feathers resulting in a beautiful light amber color.As structure is the main reason for their floatability the stripping process seems not to affect their efficiency. CDC Stripping Color Formula: Start with equal amounts of household ammonia and hydrogen-peroxide mixing them into a solution. Immerse natural gray CDC feathers, and let it sit for a couple hours (or overnight) Use outside, or in a closed container, as the fumes are not very healthy. Rinse the feathers well in fresh water, and let dry. They should now be a beautiful light amber. Remember that with CDC you don't need fly floatants or dressings to improve floatation. Just dry the feather thoroughly with an Amadou patch and it's as good as new. All Rights Reserved. No part of this web site may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from Bob Kloskowski.
	Copyright @ 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 by Bob Kloskowski