Euro NymphsSecret Squirrel CDC Jig
The Secret Squirrel CDC Jig is a buggy euro nymph that combines fox squirrel dubbing with CDC for exceptional movement underwater. The purple/violet color scheme with pearl ribbing creates an attractive profile that can act as both an imitation and attractor pattern. The jig hook design keeps the fly riding hook-point up, reducing snags in rocky bottom structure.
Year Round
Intermediate
Trout
Dec 2025
Overview
Developed by Fly Fish Food in 2023, this pattern leverages the natural bugginess of fox squirrel dubbing combined with the lifelike movement of CDC dubbing. The unique purple/violet color scheme with pearl ribbing provides excellent visibility in various water conditions while maintaining a natural appearance. The Coq De Leon tail fibers add subtle movement and realistic segmentation. This pattern can be tied in various colors to match local preferences and water conditions.
Materials
Hook: Hanak H 400 BL Jig Hook, size #14
Thread: 8/0 UNI-Thread Waxed Midge, purple
Bead: Hanak Metallic+ Slotted Tungsten Beads, dark violet, 3.5mm
Tail: Whiting Coq De Leon Tail Feathers
Dubbing 1: Natural Furs Dubbing, fox squirrel
Dubbing 2: TroutHunter CDC Dubbing, black
Ribbing: Hends Pearl Round Ribbing 17, violet pearl
Behavior & Presentation
Natural Behavior: Crawler and swimmer nymphs break free into drift during behavioral movements, tumbling helplessly mid-column through feeding lanes.
Where Trout Eat It: Fish station in feeding lanes 3-5 feet deep, systematically filtering drifting nymphs in pocket water and seams.
How to Fish It: Dead drift with tight-line euro contact. Jig hook rides point-up through rocky structure while CDC creates breathing movement.
Best Water: Target pocket water with complex currents, seams where drift concentrates nymphs, and riffle edges with accelerating flows.
Strike Type: Sag in sighter or subtle tick. CDC collar movement triggers visual strikes detected through sensitive contact.
Fishing Strategy
Rigging Suggestions: Fish as the point fly in a euro nymphing setup with 10-12 foot leader and 4X-5X tippet. Can be paired with a lighter midge or emerger pattern as a dropper 12-18 inches above.
Seasonal Timing: in moving water, particularly productive during spring and fall mayfly activity when trout are feeding heavily on nymphs. Works well in winter during midge hatches when fish are holding in slower pockets and runs.
Pro Tips: Sinks quickly with the 3.5mm tungsten bead, reaching depths of 3-5 feet rapidly. The combination of fox squirrel and CDC dubbing creates a buggy, breathing profile that moves naturally with current fluctuations.
Entomology
Mayfly nymphs exhibit diverse swimming abilities depending on body morphology, with streamlined species like Baetidae darting in short rapid bursts while clinger species crawl along substrate surfaces. Their vulnerability peaks during behavioral drift when nymphs release their grip and tumble downstream at night, representing up to 90% of trout diet in some tailwaters due to their high availability and caloric density.
- Order
- Ephemeroptera
- Common Name
- Mayfly
- Organism Type
- insect
- Life Stage
- nymph