DDR (Distantly Duck Related) Photo Tuesday

Rick Kyte

Rick Kyte

Well-known member
The Wisconsin early trout season ended Sunday evening; the regular season begins this weekend. Despite a stormy start, the early season was one of the best in years. I don't have many pictures from it however, because my first day out I slid down a snowy bank into the bottom of the stream. The good news was that I landed on a big fish and didn't break the line; the bad news was that my wife's digital camera turned out not to be waterproof. Her new camera is an Olympus Stylus, which is supposed to be waterproof--and apparently it is because I went over my waders again about 10 minutes after taking the photo below. This time I lost the trout, but not the camera.

Here's a photo of a little brook trout caught last Friday from a stream that our local TU chapter has been doing stream improvements on for the past 6 years. I've caught a ton of browns out of that stream, but this is the first brook trout I've seen there.



bt1.jpg

Now for the DDR part. He was taken on a CDC/deer hair caddis, my standard searching pattern on midwest streams. The CDC (cul de canard aka "duck butt") feathers are the oil-gland or preening feathers on puddle ducks. I've given away so many of these flies this year that for the first time ever I may run out of CDC before hunting season resumes.


CDC2.JPG

If any of you want to collect some extra CDC for me this fall I'd be grateful. Mallard and gadwall is best. I'd even be willing to offer something in return, like some flies or some beer--depending on what type of fishing you do :)

Rick
 
That is a beauty of a brookie you caught. Makes me wish I had some trout streams near by.
If you need some CDC to get by until hunting season I have a bag from mixed sources I can share with you. Some mallard, other puddle ducks and probably some canada goose. I saved a bunch a year or two ago but don't tie with them much since most of my fishing is for panfish on still water.
Drop me a pm with your address if you need some.

Tim
 
Tim,

Thanks for the offer.

Do you know the regulations regarding transporting wild game feathers? I don't know if they would apply in this case or not.

Maybe someone else on this forum knows.

By the way, you can tie the same fly as above with a bead head and it works great for panfish. Slip a bead on a size 12 or 14 hook. Tie a CDC feather in by the tip and wrap it forward, brushing the filaments back as you wrap. Tie a small clump of deer hair on the top. With a bead the fly sinks slowly. If you give it a series of strips, with long pauses between each strip, it has a great action that panfish go nuts over.

Rick
 
Best bring a few of those flies along June 30th. I plan to twist your arm till they drop into my grubby little hands. :>)


Real nice looking fly you tie there.
 
Strangely there are two instances when you can do pretty much do what you want with wild ducks feathers, bedding and fly tying. Nothing wrong with giving, trading, selling or receiving wild duck feathers for fly tying. Just pm me your address and I'll get a bag to you. Can't promise all grade A CDC but I have enough to share.

Tim
 
Rick,
Do you only tie flies, or do you get into pouring jigs, spinnerbaits, ets. I'm thinking you and your boys and I could make enough "prettys" to have Dave in serious grovel mode. You bring the hooks and deer hair, I've got the CDC's, bucktail, silicone, pot, molds, and everything else we need. Oh yeah, while you're out lookin for trout be paying attention to your favorite morel spots. I've got 5 growing in the backyard today.

George
 
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George, I'll try to bring along some "trading goodies".

Rick, you'd be surprised just how many flies I can "pin cushion" in one hand. I might have to have you give me a quick tying demo. I've tied a few bucktail jigs and some spinners but my flies look like they been swatted a few times with the household fly swatter before they even see the water. I've resigned myself to buying.
 
Rick,

Nice brookie! Been a long time since I played around on SW Wisconsin or NE Iowa water. Nelson's Caddis was my standard pattern...in tan or solid black. Tie one in black, a little larger, add legs and a forward lump of dubbing...instant cricket pattern they used to slurp regularly...

Don't use too many dries other than midges now down here on the tailwaters in Arkansas. If you ever get down this way and want to play around on the Little Red, let me know.

Morels...wow...what I'd give...
 
Rick,
I used to live in Memphis and learned to fly-fish by chucking woolly buggers on the Little Red. Next time I'm down there I'll be sure to let you know. It would be good to fish there again.
 
George,

I've never poured any jigs. But I'd happily hold out my grubby little hands next to Dave's if you've got some to give. Each season I tie up a few spinner rigs for walleyes, but that's about it.

I haven't spotted any morels yet, but I figured they must be out there because our lilac tree is blooming.

Rick
 
Rick, Those are some nice looking flies. I bet they would catch some nice fish on the Prairie river. I think Dave is going to have to arm wresle to get any. He had better start working out. He only got to months to go.:))
 
That's funny...I learned to flyfish casting caddis, bwo, tricos, hoppers and crickets to trout on the Coullees in WI and Waterloo, Spring Branch, etc. in Iowa.

Then I moved to Arkansas and went from a stream 10 feet wide to one 100 feet wide on the Red, Norfork and White...talk about culture shock...

I miss fishing nothing but dries...
 
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