CDC Red Tag Nymph

CDC Red Tag Nymph

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Tying Instructions

1. Slide a slotted tungsten bead (small round opening first) onto the hook. Place in the vice and slide the bead forward up against the hook eye. Twist the bead as necessary so the rounded end of the slot is at the top of the hook shank.

2. Attach the thread behind the bead and lock the bead into position behind the eye with thread wraps. Lay a thread foundation to the bend of the hook and bring the thread back to the mid point of the shank.

3. Clip a piece of 4-strand Danville Floss from the spool and place the center of the floss on the thread. Wrap the thread around the shank, locking the floss to the top of the hook shank.

4. Keep the floss ends even and wrap the thread securing the floss to the bend of the hook. Clip off the tag ends of the floss. The end of the tag should be just beyond the end of the hook. This is subjective, you can have shorter tag or a longer one.

5. Attach a red wire to the bottom of the hook shank secureing the wire from behind the bead to the bend of the hook.

6. Create a dubbing loop at the bend of the hook.

7. Remove some Red Fox fur for dubbing. I’m using a Hareline Ceramic Zirconia Dubbing Rake to get the proper blend of underfur and guard hairs.

8. Place the dubbing inside the dubbing loop and spin. I’m using a Stonfo Rotodubbing Twister which quickly creates a spikey dubbed thread segment that I can wrap up to just behind the bead and tie off with thread wraps. Clip off the tag end of the dubbed segment and secure with thread wraps.

9. Wrap the wire ribbing forward with about four spirol wraps to the thorax area and secure with thread wraps. Break off the tag end of the wire with a “helicopter” motion and secure with some additional thread wraps. Wrap the thread behind the bead for a thorax region.

10. Attach a strand of peacock herl by the tip on the thorax area securing the herl to the top of the hook shank behind the bead..

11. Wrap a thorax with the herl, 4-5 turns should do it. Secure the herl just behind the bead with thread wraps and trim off the tag ends.

12. Select a long CDC plume feather and attach the feather by the tip just behind the bead. Once secured, trim off the CDC fibers that extend from the end of the tip.

13. Holding the quill of the CDC feather, preen back the fibers with your thumb and index finger as you wrap the quill around the back of the bead. On the last turn of the feather, secure with 2 tight thread wraps and trim off the tag end.

14. Whip Finish.

15. The finished CDC Red Tag.

 

 

 

 

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	Firestick #551 #12-16
Thread	Veevus 10/0, Black
Head	Slotted Silver or Gold Tungsten
Ribbing	Red Wire Medium
Body	Fox Squirrel fur
Tail	Danville Floss, Red
Thorax	Peacock Herl
Collar Hackle	CDC Medium Gray Dun

Andy Larkin

CDC Red Tag Nymph

This pattern is attributed to Andy Larkin of Cobble Hill, Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Andy is an innovative fly tier and is also involved in competitive fly fishing. The Red Tag on the fly is actually a much older feature that was designed on a dry fly by Martyn Flynn of Worcestershire, England in 1850 for fishing Grayling. The pattern was called the Worcestershire Gem and the tag was red wool. Today, the red tag continues onto a number of patterns, particularly Euro Nymphs.

Some other Red Tags

The pattern marketed by Fulling Mill uses a design by Kieron Jenkins, who is a talented British fly tier and competitive angler for Great Britain. Kieron uses CDC for both the body and collar. The red tag is Glo Brite #5. Currently, Kieron is the manager of Digital Marketing at Fulling Mill.

A similar pattern is the Blowtorch as tied by Devon Olsen and marketed by Umpqua Feather Merchants. Devin indicates that this pattern was instrumental in his 1st and 2nd places within the 2014 World Championships.  The Red Tag attribute was also adapted to Czech patterns that were used during fishing competitions prior to 2010 utilizing a red tag of craft fur, a peacock herl body, and a partridge soft hackle tied behind a gold bead.

Blowtorch, Purple

Hook	TMC 403blj #10-16
Thread	14/0 Veevus, Black
Head	1/8
Weight	.020
Body	UV Purple Ice Dub
Collar	UV Pink Ice Dub
Tail	Danville Flat Waxed Nylon, Red
Ribbing	Small Silver Wire
Hackle	White CDC feather

KJ CDC Red Tag Nymph

Hook	Hanak 450BL Size 12
Head	Slotted 3.5mm Gold Tungsten Bead
Thread	Black Veevus 12/0
Body	Slate Dun CDC (wound)
Thorax	Black Peacock Ice Dubbing
Tail	Danville Rayon Floss Red
Hackle	Slate Dun CDC