The F-Fly is an Eastern European pattern that was apparently devised to imitate caddis. Tied with CDC it is a great fly for mayfly hatches and can be used effectively on highly selective trout. We tie it in sizes 14 through 18 using the pattern included in Tasmanian trout guide Daniel Hackett’s Fly Cards publication.
I am a great devotee of tying with CDC – something I picked up in Japan where some very smart fishermen and fly tyers convinced me of the merits of it for fooling tough trout while I was living there.
It’s one of my first choices flies at the beginning of an evening rise as it can imitate both mayfly and caddis and can pass for an emerger too.
It’s also a very simple fly to tie and can be cranked out in less than two minutes! For some details on the original creator of the F-Fly, Slovenia’s Marjan Fratnik, check out this article.
CDC F-Fly Materials List:
- Tiemco 100 or equivalent standard dry fly hook (use our searchable database to find equivalents in all other popular brands)
- Hare’s ear (imitating mayflies and caddis) or dark brown seal’s fur (imitating ants)
- Natural CDC feathers – 3-5 feathers
- Brown thread 8/0
F-Fly Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1
Lay down a thread base
Step 2
Dub on some Hare’s Ear to create a thin dubbing rope. Use dubbing wax to make it easier to get a thin rope of even consistency.
Step 3
Dub a thin tapered body stopping just short of the hook eye.
Step 4
Take 3-5 CDC feathers and align the tips and tie in so that they form a wing that just overlaps the bend of the hook.
Step 5
Cut off the ends. Build up a neat thread head over the top of the tips and whip finish and there you have it – the CDC F-Fly.