Violet Floss CDC Mayfly Dun
by @dekasso
CDC Dun · Dry fly
A purple sail resting on slate
A size 16 CDC mayfly dun with a purple floss body and white wing, for trout rising to small duns on slow water.
A slim mayfly dun with a purple body, a split tail and a tall white wing. The body is purple floss banded with white thread, under a puff of white CDC and long Coq de Leon tails.
- Pattern
- CDC Dun
- Imitates
- Small mayfly dun hatches
- When
- typically afternoons from late spring into autumn
- Hook
- size 16
- Tippet
- 5Xrule of three
- Purple floss body with white thread rib
- White CDC wing sits high
- Split Coq de Leon tails
- Size 16 dry fly hook
- Purple dubbed thorax
On the water
Purple floss runs the length of the shank in tight, glossy turns, cut by neat white thread bands. A white CDC wing stands up like a tuft of cotton. Barred Coq de Leon tails fan out behind on a bronze dry fly hook.
Fish it on flat glides and soft pool tails when small duns ride the surface. Cast a little upstream of a riser and let it drift dead, no drag. The white wing stays easy to follow in flat light.
CDC needs a light hand. Tie the wing in with two soft wraps, check its height, then lock it down. Never coat it with gel floatant; a powder desiccant keeps the fibers fluffy.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 5Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Rig on 6X tippet, 9 to 12 feet of leader, for a soft landing on flat water.
- Treat the CDC with powder desiccant only, and blot it dry after each fish.
- Drift it dead and drag-free; a reach cast helps on slow, uneven seams.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Small mayfly dun hatchestypically afternoons from late spring into autumn
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Slow pools, flat glides and smooth tailouts
- Also fishes
- Spring creeks and quiet lake margins where trout sip small mayflies, and slow eddies on freestone rivers.
Make it yourself
Intermediate5 materials · 10 steps
- Pattern
- CDC Dun
- Style
- Dry fly
- Hook
- Dry fly hooksize 16
- Thread
- Purple 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- TailCoq de Leon fibers
- RibWhite thread
- BodyPurple floss
- WingWhite CDC
- ThoraxPurple dubbing
Details
- Imitates
- Mayfly dun
- Colors
- Purple, White, Tan, Bronze
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (10)
- Mount the size 16 dry fly hook and start the purple thread behind the eye, wrapping a thin base back to the bend.
- Build a tiny thread bump at the bend to help the tails split.
- Tie in four to six Coq de Leon fibers, splitting them into two even fans around the bump.
- Tie in a length of white thread at the bend for the rib.
- Tie in the purple floss and wrap a smooth, slightly tapered body forward to the two-thirds point.
- Spiral the white thread rib forward in five or six even turns and tie it off.
- Stack two or three white CDC feathers, tips even, and tie them upright at the two-thirds point.
- Trim the CDC butts at an angle and cover them with thread.
- Dub a thin noodle of purple dubbing and wrap a small thorax around the base of the wing.
- Form a neat thread head, whip finish and trim the thread.
Proportions (4)
- Tail: about one and a half times the shank length, split into two fans.
- Body: covers the rear two-thirds of the shank, slim with a gentle taper.
- Wing: roughly one hook length tall, standing upright.
- Thorax: a small ball of dubbing, about one-third of the shank.
Tips (4)
- Keep floss strands flat by untwisting them as you wrap for a glossy, even body.
- Space the rib turns evenly; five or six bands look right on a size 16.
- Use a thread bump at the bend so the Coq de Leon fibers split cleanly.
- Leave the eye clear so tippet threads easily on the water.
Common mistakes (4)
- Bulky body: floss stacks quickly, so build the taper with few wraps.
- Wing too short: CDC compresses when wet, so tie it a little taller than it seems.
- Crowded eye: stop the thorax with room for a small thread head.
- Uneven tails: count fibers per side before you lock them down.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 16 · Materials only · 12 flies
$39.10
$3.26 a fly
Includes Dry fly hook · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Purple 8/0 thread$2.95
- White thread$3.25
Materials
- Other material: Coq de Leon fibers$4.50
- Other material: Purple floss$4.50
- White CDC$6.95
- Purple dubbing$4.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 48 flies
$69.35
$1.44 a fly
Bought separately $73 · you save $3.65
Includes Dry fly hook · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Purple 8/0 thread$2.95
- White thread$3.25
Materials
- Other material: Coq de Leon fibers$9
- Other material: Purple floss$9
- White CDC$20.85
- Purple dubbing$9
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 144 flies
$156.77
$1.09 a fly
Bought separately $178.15 · you save $21.38
Includes Dry fly hook · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Purple 8/0 thread$8.85
- White thread$9.75
Materials
- Other material: Coq de Leon fibers$22.50
- Other material: Purple floss$22.50
- White CDC$55.60
- Purple dubbing$18
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$189.10
$15.76 a fly
Includes Dry fly hook · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 18 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Purple 8/0 thread$2.95
- White thread$3.25
Materials
- Other material: Coq de Leon fibers$4.50
- Other material: Purple floss$4.50
- White CDC$6.95
- Purple dubbing$4.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$211.85
$4.41 a fly
Bought separately $223 · you save $11.15
Includes Dry fly hook · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 18 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Purple 8/0 thread$2.95
- White thread$3.25
Materials
- Other material: Coq de Leon fibers$9
- Other material: Purple floss$9
- White CDC$20.85
- Purple dubbing$9
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$288.77
$2.01 a fly
Bought separately $328.15 · you save $39.38
Includes Dry fly hook · and 17 more
Every item in this kit · 18 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Purple 8/0 thread$8.85
- White thread$9.75
Materials
- Other material: Coq de Leon fibers$22.50
- Other material: Purple floss$22.50
- White CDC$55.60
- Purple dubbing$18
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
How it was made
4 iterations led here; the saved one is marked
1
2
3
4 Saved
Remixes
3 steps back
- Slate Ledge Grizzly Soft Hackle@dekasso · the original
- Grizzly Half Hackle Mayfly Dun@dekasso
- Violet Floss CDC Mayfly Dunyou are here
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
“make the body purple”
fly pattern · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- mayfly
- dun
- dry fly
- cdc
- purple
- floss
- trout
- split tail
- coq de leon
- white wing
- size 16