DRY FLIES
LEPTO DUN
A “Dun” is that stage of
the life cycle of a Mayfly when it emerges and rests on the surface of
the
water or nearby vegetation whilst its wings dry. During the dun stage
it
is very vulnerable to passing and searching fish. If you have a look at
Duns whilst the colours vary dramatically there are fundamentals of
shape
that are common across the species and captured by this pattern. The
tail
consists of only three filaments; the body starts thin and is then
cigar
shaped with 9 distinct segments; the wing faces back at about a 45
degree
angle and it has 6 legs. I use this fly to represent a number of larger duns including
Olive Duns, Highland Duns and
Kosciuszko Duns. This pattern is fairly generic and is similar to many mayfly
patterns.
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| OLIVE DUN |
HIGHLAND DUN |
KOSCIUSZKO DUN |
Whilst the colours
below
are for a Kosciuszko Dun you should vary the colour scheme and size to
match the Dun you are seeking to match.
KOSCIUSZKO DUN
The Kosciuszko Dun belongs
to the Coloburiscidae family of Mayflies. Because members of this
family
are so much bigger than members of the other families I have described
and because they are commonly encountered in high country streams its
worth
carrying this one specific pattern in a size #10. The
nymphs are robust and are generally found in faster water where they
also emerge. They then drift down stream drying and taking flight
either from the fast water or slower flowing water below the faster
water from where they emerged. Watch for hatches later in the
afternoons and particularly toward dusk or in clouded conditions before
rain.
MATERIALS:
Hook
- Size 10 light gauge
long shank
Thread - light brown
Tail - Cream, fawn or
light
brown hackle fibres
Body - Palmered hackle
Wings - Cream, fawn,
light
brown or grey feather slip or folded feather
Hackle
- Cream, fawn or
light brown
A)
-
Wind the thread in touching turns to the bend of
the
hook.
-
Tie in a tail about as long as the hook shank
consisting of only 3 to 6 hackle fibres..
-
Tie in a length of thin round tinsel.
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B)
-
Dub on a thin cigar shaped body along the back 2/3
of the hook shank.
-
Wind the gold tinsel along the body to form between
7 and 9 segments.
-
Tie the gold tinsel off and trim the excess.
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C)
-
Tie in
two matching hackle wing tips directly in front of the body with one on
each side of the hook and facing backward at a 60 degree angle to the
shank of the hook. When looking at the wings front on they should be
symmetrical and only slightly separated.
-
Tie in
the hackle directly in front of the wings.
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D)
-
Apply dubbing marginally thicker
than the body from in front of the wing almost to the
eye of the hook leaving enough room to build up a head for the fly.
-
Palmer the hackle along the thorax almost to the
eye of the hook with turns that don't touch. This hackle represents the
legs of the fly and it is important to get a balance between fly
buoyancy and overdressing.
-
Tie the hackle off and trim the excess.
-
Build up a neat head of thread
-
Whip finish and
varnish the head.
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