Tying Quigley's CDC vs Deer Hair

[fishynsmelly]

Tying up a bunch of Quigley cripples. What is a better wing to use, CDC or Deer Hair. I am partial to CDC myself, I just think it's easier to work with.

I am not concerned about ease of tying though. What is a more effective material on the water? What would the pro's and con's be for either one?

Thanks.

[Tyson]

Tying up a bunch of Quigley cripples. What is a better wing to use, CDC or Deer Hair. I am partial to CDC myself, I just think it's easier to work with.

I am not concerned about ease of tying though. What is a more effective material on the water? What would the pro's and con's be for either one?

Thanks.
CDC is amazing until you catch a fish or two then it loses its special properties. I like to have some with CDC in case of a selective fish in slow water. But I wouldn't try to use it as a "workhorse" fly if you know what I mean.

[Jason]

I tie them with both and believe they fish equally as well. I prefer CDC because it's easier to work with. Tying with deer hair just turns into a mess. However I like to tie the original once in awhile for my PMD quigleys using bleached deer hair. They look nice and fish great.

[fulano]

It's funny how one bad experience or lack of production with a fly will effect your opinion of a material or particular pattern.

Back before I tied my own, I purchased some Quigley's, some of which had a hair wing and others which had CDC. I can't remember if they were Baetis or PMD's, but I do remember that on that day, the deer hair fished really well and the CDC did not. I never bought or tied a CDC wing cripple pattern after that experience.

Now that I have some years under my belt of fishing the same waters during the same hatches from year to year it is starting to become clear that the fly that the fish want one day (or season) is not necessarily what they want the next or even later in the same hatch on the same day. I guess I should give the ones with CDC another try.

The only fly I have found to be a year to year day to day producer during mayfly hatches on the MP is a sparsely tied comparadun. Other flies will certainly outfish it whenever the fish are keying in on a particular stage or characteristic, but at the times when the emergers and cripples and other dun patterns are being refused, that is the fly that will still take a couple nice fish.

[fishynsmelly]

It's funny how one bad experience or lack of production with a fly will effect your opinion of a material or particular pattern.

Back before I tied my own, I purchased some Quigley's, some of which had a hair wing and others which had CDC. I can't remember if they were Baetis or PMD's, but I do remember that on that day, the deer hair fished really well and the CDC did not. I never bought or tied a CDC wing cripple pattern after that experience.

Now that I have some years under my belt of fishing the same waters during the same hatches from year to year it is starting to become clear that the fly that the fish want one day (or season) is not necessarily what they want the next or even later in the same hatch on the same day. I guess I should give the ones with CDC another try.

The only fly I have found to be a year to year day to day producer during mayfly hatches on the MP is a sparsely tied comparadun. Other flies will certainly outfish it whenever the fish are keying in on a particular stage or characteristic, but at the times when the emergers and cripples and other dun patterns are being refused, that is the fly that will still take a couple nice fish.

I have had almost the oppposite experience. I have had a lot of success fishing with CDC emergers. Especially on the Green R.

I am heading to the Snake R. next week, last year I was there and one of the best patterns I used was a Quigley. It had a deer hair wing. I haven't fished this pattern enough to get a good feel for it and I haven't really used a Quigley with a CDC wing before. So that is why I was asking.