Tying Guide: How to tie Michael Olesen's

Cdc & Hare Vulgata

  • Hook: Maruto d21 size 10 
  • Thread: Semperfli waxed, brown 12/0
  • Tails: 3 hairs from a moose`s mane
  • Ribbing: Goose biot, brown
  • Abdomen/body:  Hare dubbing, dirty yellow
  • Wings: 2 cdc feathers grey, selected 3 cm
  • Thorax and legs: Deer hair, brown, about 2 cm long

01

The idea behind Cdc & Hare Vulgata

To make a straight forward simple fly with only natural material

02

Learn how to make Cdc & Hare Vulgata

Pay attention to the little details and take your time

03

Step by step pictures of Cdc & Hare Vulgata

High resolution pictures and easy to understand guide

The idea behind the Cdc and Hare Vulgata

More About Cdc & Hare Vulgata

This fly contains a combination of well-known techniques and material choices and it is even quite easy to tie. I think that this Vulgate is, in a way, one of my most simple flies, it is so simple and straightforward that words and explanations are almost not needed.
The fly consists exclusively of natural boyant materials. The deer hairs and the airy structure around them in the thorax area contribute to a great extent to this fly’s unique buoyancy. There is plenty of opportunity to develop your skills as a hairdresser, as the deer hair can be cut, bent and structured exactly as you wish, according to your own taste. Personally, I prefer to cut the hairs shortest at the hook eye and gradually a little longer across the thorax, towards the wing.

Many insects can of course be imitated with this material combination, but I think the fly is better and more natural looking in big sizes for the Vulgata and Danica fishing.

Luna Mayfly featured in Gordon Van Der Spuy's new book

The Feather Mechanic II

Briefly about “The Feather Mechanic II: Beyond the Pattern”

A look into the feature of the Luna Mayfly in Gordon van der Spuy’s new book. What Michael’s thoughts were going into this, and places on the web where the book can be bought will also be mentioned here.

See more from Gordon van der Spuy on his socials and website.

You can find a copy of “The Feather Mechanic II: Beyond the Pattern” on  www.themissionflymag.com

Fly tying by Michael Olesen

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Explore original work by Michael Olesen and learn ways to make them with easy step by step guides and simple illustrations. Explore a variety of flies and a deep passion for fly tying.

In My own words

Making of The Cdc & Hare Vulgata

  • Hook: Maruto d21 size 10 or any longshank dryfly hook
  • Thread: Semperfli waxed, brown 12/0
  • Tails: 3 hairs from a moose`s mane
  • Ribbing: Goose biot, brown
  • Abdomen/body: Hare dubbing, dirty yellow
  • Wings: 2 cdc feathers grey, selected 3 cm
  • Thorax and legs: Deer hair, brown, about 2 cm long
Step by step guide

Cdc & Hare Vulgata Table of Contents

This fly contains a combination of well-known techniques and material choices and it is even quite easy to tie. I think that this Vulgate is, in a way, one of my most simple flies, it is so simple and straightforward that words and explanations are almost not needed.

The fly consists exclusively of natural boyant materials. The deer hairs and the airy structure around them in the thorax area contribute to a great extent to this fly’s unique buoyancy. There is plenty of opportunity to develop your skills as a hairdresser, as the deer hair can be cut, bent and structured exactly as you wish, according to your own taste. Personally, I prefer to cut the hairs shortest at the hook eye and gradually a little longer across the thorax, towards the wing.

Many insects can of course be imitated with this material combination, but I think the fly is better and more natural looking in big sizes for the Vulgata and Danica fishing.

Additional details of steps and information that might come in handy when tying the Cdc & Hare Vulgata

Cdc & Hare Vulgata Guide - Step 1

Cover the hook shank with your tying thread. Tweak out 3 individual hairs from a moose`s mane for tails, even up the tips and tie these in as a bundle, right at the hook bend. The total length of the tails should be 2 – 2,5 cm. To splay the tails, you can push your thumb nail into the base of the tails and then take your tying thread once between the outer tails and the central one (figure of 8).

- Michael Olesen

Cdc & Hare Vulgata Guide - Step 2

Tie in the goose biot at the tip end, right at the base of the tails.

- Michael Olesen

Cdc & Hare Vulgata Guide - Step 3

Cover the rear half of the hook shank with your hare dubbing and leave your tying thread at the middle of the hook shank.

- Michael Olesen

Cdc & Hare Vulgata Guide - Step 4

Make 3 – 4 open wraps over the hare dubbing, with the goose biot. Secure the goose biot at the middle of the hook shank.

- Michael Olesen

Cdc & Hare Vulgata Guide - Step 5

Cover the rest of the hook shank with the hare dubbing and leave 3 – 4 mm open space behind the hook eye.

- Michael Olesen

Cdc & Hare Vulgata Guide - Step 6

Add a little dubbing to the bare hook shank behind the hook eye, to make a little base for tying down the wings. Select two grey rather straight big cdc feathers. Tie the two cdc feathers down, with the backsides against each other, in the point 3 – 4 mm from the hook eye, against the bump on the edge of the dubbing. This way you can make your wings sit nicely at an angle of 45 degrees to the hook shank/abdomen. Now you cover the thorax area with tying thread, to make an even base for the next tying step.

- Michael Olesen

Cdc & Hare Vulgata Guide - Step 7

Make a 10 cm long loop of tying thread at the base of the wing.

- Michael Olesen

Cdc & Hare Vulgata Guide - Step 8

Grab some brown deer hair with a clamp and cut it of the skin with a long pair of scissors.

- Michael Olesen

Cdc & Hare Vulgata Guide - Step 9

Twist the deer hair in the loop of tying thread.

- Michael Olesen

Cdc & Hare Vulgata Guide - Step 10

Now wind the rope of deer hair around the shank in tight touching turns, in the thorax area in front of the wing. To make sure I don’t trap too many deer hair, I pull them backwards for every turn I make. I make a whip finish behind the hook eye and cut off the tying thread before the last step.

- Michael Olesen

Cdc & Hare Vulgata Guide - Step 11

Cut the deer hair to the desired length. There is no accurate formula for this, but what I do is, I cut the over- and underside rather short. I leave some deer hair to blend into the wings and some on the sides for legs. To make the legs extra buggy, I grab the tips of the deer hair and push them against the fly. This way I force them to bend and the fly get a little messy.

- Michael Olesen
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