Before the days of fancy fly floatants and other products designed to
keep dry flies drier for longer, fly tyers relied heavily on the
physical properties of natural materials to do the trick.
The
Cul du Canard or "CDC" feather of a common duck is found and harvested
from an area near the animal's preen glands, the center where natural
oils are produced in order to keep the duck warm and dry on the water.
CDC feathers are impregnated with these oils and are extremely water
repellent, an attribute many fly tyers of the past exploited to keep
their flies riding high and dry.
The CDC Rusty Spinner Mahogany
is an effective imitation of a Mahogany mayfly in the spinner life
stage. This design boasts long and defined split tails and spent wings
of CDC for a smooth and dry flush-with-the-surface drift. This classic
will have trout in a frenzy and it'll perform cast after cast.
Specifications:
- This fly pattern includes naturally water repellent CDC feathers as wings, allowing it to sit flush with the surface through the drift
- The fly sports a thick abdomen, prominent tails, and spent wings of CDC feathers
- Mahogany imitation in the spinner life stage
- These bugs are active in both spring and fall and often coincide with Baetis and Blue Winged Olive hatches
- Use as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch during a spinner fall
- Fish on a dead drift in medium and slow water; slow-moving eddys can be extremely productive during and after a spinner fall
- Best results early in the morning or later in the evening
- Minimize surface commotion in clear or shallow water by using long leaders and light tippet
- Giving the fly a few twitches during the drift can simulate the struggle of a spent insect and attract opportunistic trout
- When imitating a drowned spinner, it's often useful to use a nymphing strategy with a strike indicator and a short leader
- SIZE 18
When and Where to Fish the CDC Biot Rusty Spinner Mahogany
This
mayfly spinner can be fished as a realistic imitation when matching the
hatch. Mahogany spinners are not generally numerous, but are active
throughout the day and after the sun goes down, making this portion of
the hatch a joy to fish. When fishing a spinner fall, these bugs will
float and drift along the water’s surface for some distance, so try
this pattern out as the first spent adults begin to fall from nearby
vegetation. When trout are keyed in spent Mahogany spinners, look for
the gentle, sipping rises of feeding fish and cast your spinner pattern
to these areas of subtle and consistent activity. This bug will yield
the best results in areas where Mahogany spinners are visible along the
surface film in the main drift. Slow-moving eddys often collect large
numbers of spent mayflies and are prime spots for hungry trout during
and after an intense spinner fall. Mahogany are active in both spring
and fall and often can be found hatching along with Baeits and Blue
Winged Oilves.
How to Fish the CDC Biot Rusty Spinner Mahogany
Fish
this fly on a dead drift through medium to slow water and always be
careful to make sure your offering is riding high in the surface film,
the zone where spinners collect. When fishing this fly pattern in
shallow water of good to excellent clarity, be very careful not to
disturb the holding trout. Be sure to select a longer leader with
lighter diameter tippet material; creating too much commotion on the
water’s surface with heavy or otherwise inappropriate terminal tackle
can spook wary trout. Adding a few twitches to the rod tip during the
drift can simulate the final movements of a spent mayfly spinner. Some
spinners are actually swept below the surface and when imitating these
bugs it can be useful to fish your fly wet with a common nymphing
technique.
Mahogany
The mahogany (Paraleptophlebia)
is a species of mayfly named after its characteristic deep chocolate
brown color, and enjoys a wide and healthy distribution throughout
North America’s rivers and streams. During its nymph life stage, the
mahogany is identified by its long, slender body, three prominent
tails, and long, flanking, hair-like gills. As an adult, these
beautiful mayflies take on a rich, almost sophisticated look. They are
easily identified by their long, mahogany brown thoraxes and abdomens
and contrasting cream colored legs and tails. Eastern species of this
mayfly tend to display opaque slate colored wings, while western
varieties of the mahogany dun develop a more transparent set of smoky
to clear wings. These mayflies hatch on a yearly cycle and are most
active in the fall and the spring. Mahogany mayflies are not very
strong insects and shy from fast water. This species generally makes
its home in piles of vegetation debris, streamside roots, and in weedy
spring creeks. Slow water of gentle riffles, soft current seams, and
lazy eddys is prime real estate for these timid insects.
Mahogany Spinner Life Stage
After
hatching into winged adults, Mahogany duns will flutter to nearby
foliage and vegetation prior to mating. After emergence, males will
create large mating swarms above the water's surface and females will
fly into these clouds of sexually mature males. After the females are
fertilized, they will deposit their eggs on the surface of the water.
Both males and females will fall as spent spinners to the surface film,
some will float high on the water and others will be swept below the
surface. Falls of Mahogany spinners can be very thin due to the
possibility of low population numbers in a given location, and this can
limit the effectiveness of fishing a spinner fall portion of the hatch.
Leland on Umpqua
In
1972 a man named Dennis Black and his fly tying skills found themselves
in high demand. Mr. Black, then a professional production fly tyer, was
famous in the industry for his unsurpassed skill and speed with
whipping up tremendously beautiful and precisely constructed flies. It
wasn’t long until this young fly tying superstar realized that he ought
to take his consistent approach to quality to the next level. Shortly
after this realization, a small army of fly tyers had banded together
to support Mr. Black’s vision. With the likes of Dave Whitlock, Jack
Dennis, and Andy Puyans, Mr. Black was officially in business.
Dennis
Black’s new company Umpqua Feather Merchants quickly extended its reach
and fly production capabilities with expansion into India, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand, where the world’s first and full blown “fly tying
factories” were built. Since those early days, only the highest
standard of excellence has marked Umpqua and this commitment to quality
and efficiency continues to spur the company forward. Dennis Black’s
innovative vision for “fly production” has truly revolutionized how the
fly industry operates and has ultimately made the majority of
production flies better. From the first “royalty system” for rewarding
the most creative professional fly tyers to streamlining production
systems and offering a range of other products, Umpqua Feather
Merchants just seems to “do it all.”
Today, Umpqua Feather
Merchants is without a doubt the world’s best and most prolific
supplier of hand tied fly fishing flies as well as fly tying hooks and
materials, and they recently got better! Umpqua’s brand new, state of
the art headquarters in Louisville, Colorado marks another paradigm
shift in the way fly tying business is done. From its vast warehouse to
its specially designed inventory management and tracking system, Umpqua
is poised to continue its energetic trajectory and lead the way for the
next generation of flies and fly tyers.
Umpqua on Umpqua
"As you may or may not know, we're the
largest producer of quality hand-tied flies in the world. We also make
available through your local fly shop a wide array of the finest
fly-tying hackle and Tiemco hooks.
At Umpqua we offer
everything the angler needs to a have a first class fishing experience.
(Everything that is, but the water and the fish.)"
Umpqua on Dennis Black and the “Obvious Quest”
“The idea
first took shape in the hands of our founder, Dennis Black, back in
1972. As a fast and facile professional fly tyer, Dennis was known for
his skill and speed at producing hundreds of dozens of flies each year
for the larger mail order houses. But he was also quick to realize how
fast the demand for excellent flies would outstrip the abilities of
cottage industry types like him.
The Obvious Quest: To create
excellent flies in sufficient supply – without sinking his standards.
In response, Dennis developed (with characteristic care) a methodical
plan: First, he enlisted the tying expertise of the likes of Dave
Whitlock, Jack Dennis, Andy Puyans and others, to help him set the
standard of excellence for Umpqua flies.
Next, Dennis
established the first of what would eventually be five separate
fly-tying “factories,” first in India, then in Sri Lanka, and finally
in Thailand. The primary focus at each of these factories was on
producing the very best fishing flies possible, constructed of the very
best materials available. From the beginning, the quantity of flies
produced was secondary to the quality and excellence of each fly
pattern. These high standards were assured by the personal involvement
of the fly designers themselves, and by the ever-increasing skill,
imagination and creativity of the Umpqua production fly tiers. Today,
you will find no flies more skillfully tied than those available from
Umpqua Feather Merchants.
Finally, Dennis created a system of
royalty payments, to reward professional tyers like Whitlock, Lefty
Kreh, Randall Kaufman, Larry Dahlberg, and Bob Popovics for uniquely
good patterns.
The Result: Today, Umpqua produces umpteen
thousand dozen flies, from micro-scopic midge imitations to the huge
patterns favored by marlin and sailfish. And the "Umpquality" – you’ll
see for yourself.”