Tying Flies with CDC [Hardcover]

Leon Links (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003

CDC (cul-de-canard) feathers are one of the most popular fly-tying materials. CDC's water-resistant properties make it particularly useful for tying dry flies, emergers, and nymphs, especially in small sizes. Tying Flies with CDC brings together the CDC patterns and tying techniques of creative, innovative fly tiers from around the world. The book gives background on CDC, how it was used in the past and how it is used today, and details aspects of fishing with CDC flies.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Leon Links is a fishing journalist and teacher in Amsterdam. He was first introduced to CDC in the early 1980s by fellow Dutch author and angler Kees Ketting, and has since become and enthusiastic convert to CDC flies.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 2495 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; 1st edition (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811700399
• ISBN-13: 978-0811700399
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,597,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great History, Good Patterns, May 29, 2003

By 

Former Rater (Nowhere) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Tying Flies with CDC (Hardcover)

Who would have thought that preen-feathers would turn out to become such a fine addition to the tools of the flytyer? The Swiss & French are the culprits!

This book starts with a fine historical review and moves on to a number of excellent patterns and techniques. CDC dubbing is nicely addressed and it is a very valuable component of the book. Overall, it is a fine addition to any flytier's library.

There are a few areas that the book could have covered, and perhaps should have covered - but didn't. I don't know why - perhaps the editors limited what could be included - because I have no doubts about Mr. Links' skills and interest in the subject.

I would love to see more patterns and some newer techniques covered in this book.

For the last five years I've owned and used a tool of Japanese origin (sort of a three-pin bodkin) designed to allow a tyer to strip a hackle stem of all CDC plumes in a matter of seconds. I've seen the tool for sale (albeit with Japanese instructions) in many flyshops in the US, Europe and Canada and the exclusion of the tool mystifies me. Mr. Links uses the paper clamp / scissor / dubbing-loop method to transfer plumes, and he hand-strips or wraps or lashes the feathers - but simple strip-tie posts / wings are still more complex to tie than they need be.

Still, this is a fine work, and I strongly recommend it.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but more detail would have helped, May 28, 2003

By 

Melvin Rodriguez (Stamford, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tying Flies with CDC (Hardcover)

The book was a good addition to my library, unfortunatelly some of the tying stepts and more difficult techniques were not well explained, if explained at all.

there is some hockey stuff about US tyers and our presumed inability to pronounce the French languatge that seems to be a bit strained and inappropriate.

overall nice pictures of flies, could have use less anecdotes and biographical material and more technical discussion

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Useful but insufficient, May 18, 2010

By 

Eric L. Slagle (Bozeman, Montana USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tying Flies with CDC: The Fisherman's Miracle Feather (Paperback)

Overview/Objective: Consider this text as a broad overview of CDC (Cul de Canard) from a fly angler's perspective; it's emphasis is on the history of CDC as a tying material, its tying pioneers, and notable CDC patterns--all with a decided European focus. It is not a "how to tie with CDC" book; in order to harness the limited information in this book one should already be an accomplished tyer.

Outstanding aspects: Unfortunately, there a now particular outstanding qualities to this text.

Good aspects: Solid photo tying sequences. Refreshing European focus; fly anglers from the other side of "the pond" have a lot to offer narrow minded American anglers. Patterns are almost entirely "impressionistic" and simple in nature, rather than realistic and involved (the latter being a consistent folly of American flies).

Mediocre aspects: History and pioneers sections were too brief, although helpful and generally interesting. Photographs were marginally professional (with the exception of the tying sequences). Limited critical thinking, the exception is Clive Perkins. The most extensive section was on Marc Petijean; frankly, it's boring and smacks of "what else can I tie with CDC" rather how to to a better fly with CDC.

Week aspects: Font choice was annoying, I often felt like I was ready a child's book. Fly plates were confusing; sometimes they were read clockwise, other times by row. Go figure. The cover photo (shown again as a full page image on page 152) is nowhere referenced within the text. Should I assume that it's a pretty fly but one not deserving particular mention in the text? Rather, my guess is that it's a Marc Petijean fly that the author has decided to not reveal the pattern's details (presumably at Petijean's request); poor choice. No split-thread tying techniques; was this not widely known in 2002? There were many receipes without and accompanying photograph; to me this is simply not accetable.

Summary/Conclusion: Tying Flies with CDC is an easy read; too easy in fact. It paints with broad strokes and rarely goes into detail about a patterns design. All comments are generally anecdotal and lack any disciplined empirical research. A must when reading the book is to keep in mind the European mindframe to fly fishing: their rivers are heavily fished and contain comaritively fewer trout than werstern American rivers. Links approaches the river from the perspecive that every fish opportunity counts, thus he's willing to switch flies often and sacrifice time and repeat useability for the sake of fooling the single trout or grayling at hand. The American equivalent are spring creeks; to little surprise this is ground zero for CDC flies in America.

Buy or Pass? Buy, with reservations (recommended for individuals with advanced tying skills--not because what is illustrated is advanced, but because you're going to have to fiqure out much of the content on your own).