Midge / EmergersCDC Loop Wing Emerger
The CDC Loop Wing Emerger is a midge emerger pattern designed by Eric Peper. This effective pattern combines traditional materials with proven techniques for consistent results in a variety of water conditions.
Spring, Summer, Fall
Intermediate
Trout
Feb 2026
Overview
Eric Peper's CDC Loop Wing Emerger features a distinctive looped CDC wing that imitates the crumpled wings of an insect breaking through the surface film. The pattern's slim body and minimal materials create a realistic emerging profile that sits flush in the film. The loop wing provides flotation while suggesting the incomplete transformation that makes emergers such vulnerable prey during hatches.
Materials
Hook: Partridge SLD #12-18 (or equivalent)
Thread: Olive 12/0
Shuck: CDC feather (Type 3)
Abdomen: Medium olive hare dubbing (face)
Loop wing: 2 Natural CDC feathers (Type 2)
Thorax: Medium olive hare dubbing (ear)
Behavior & Presentation
Natural Behavior: Insects breaking through the film hang half-submerged with wings folded, struggling against surface tension during transformation. Gas bubbles trapped in wing cases flash as emergers labor to complete emergence.
Where Trout Eat It: Selective feeders patrol the film in calm water, sipping trapped emergers from feeding lanes and foam lines.
How to Fish It: Fish in the surface film with dead drifts, maintaining drag-free presentations through prime feeding zones.
Best Water: Slicks, tail-outs, flat water, and seams produce best when emergers concentrate during active hatches.
Strike Type: Subtle sips with minimal surface disturbance as selective fish confidently take film-trapped prey.
Fishing Strategy
Rigging Suggestions: Use a 12-15 foot leader with 6X-7X tippet. Fish alone or as a dropper beneath a small dry fly.
Seasonal Timing: Most effective during peak feeding periods at dawn and dusk. Water temperatures between 45-65°F typically produce best results.
Pro Tips: The loop wing design creates the exact silhouette of an insect struggling to emerge. When fish are rising but refusing adult patterns, this emerger design consistently produces.
Entomology
Emerging aquatic insects break through the surface tension in a labored process, hanging half-submerged with wings still folded while their bodies harden and wings inflate. Fish position in feeding lanes to sip these trapped insects that drift slowly, unable to flee during the critical transformation from nymph to adult.
- Organism Type
- insect
- Life Stage
- general