Bushy's Dun      

Hook:    Tiemco TMC 3769 # 14 - 16 

Thread:   Dark Brown or Black 6/0 

Wing: Hackle Tips Grizzle

Tail: Hackle Fibres

Body: Grey Hare's Ear Dub

Hackle: Brown

1/ Lay a thread base as we usually do. Then select a couple of similar sized grizzle hacklepoints. Use a cheap grizzle cape/neck available for uner $20 at most flyshops for this purpose. You will get many hundreds of wing posts out of such a cape. Tie in ywo feathers back to back standing vertically from the hook shank. Carefully take several wraps around the base of the wing and then continue winding to the rear of the hook.
2/ Take a bunch of hackle fibres from a light brown, ginger or barred ginger cape. Tie them in so that they are equal in length to the hook shank. The first clump should extend to the rear of the fly and be offset at roughly 45 degrees from the hook shank. The second bunch should be the same length but offset in the opposite direction. See next step.
3/ You can see clearly here what we mean. The tail fibres should be splayed out at angtle from the hook to give this look. This helps the fly balance perfectly on the water, even in very rough conditions as well as looking very natural. Don't worry about getting it exactly as shown. Near enough is good enough is my motto when tying flies for 'fishing'.
4/ Next up, take a pinch of dubbing from the packet and apply it to the thread. The soft underfur of much of a rabbit skin is ideal as the colour is exactly what we are after and the softness will make the dubbing process even easier. Don't worry too much about this material being water absorbent as we have a lot of flotation in the oversized hackle to come. Also it is tied on a heavy nymph hook to keep it low in the water.
5/ Wrap your dubbed thread forward and build a thin, slightly tapering body (thinner at the back of the hook, getting thicker towards the wing). When you have reached the wing move the thread forward of it and remove any excess dubbbing not needed now. You should have something like what we have in the photo to the right.
6/ Take a hackle feather and strip the flue from it. Now tie it in carefully, trying to get the shiny side towards you as shown and the feather extending to the rear of the hook. When you have done this trim the feather stub not needed and continue to wind the thread to the hook eye where the next step will start.
7/ Take another pinch of dubbing and apply it to the thread. This time we want a slightly bulkier section of body. Wind back and build the body between the hook eye and wing. This should also be slightly tapered, thinnner at the eye and getting thicker towards the wing. When complete remove any excess dubbing and move to the next step.
8/ Gently grasp your hackle feather and begin winding it around the wingpost. Starting on the far side in wind towards you in an anti-clockwise direction. Be careful and take your time so that you don't get frustrated trying to wind it around the feather (which can be difficult the first few times). Wind at least 5 times until you have a nicely hackled fly and then pull the thread forward to the hook eye, tie off and trim exess and thread.
9/ This is a final view of the completed fly when seen from above. Notice the tail filaments are angled out giving it superb flotation as does the heavy parachute hackle. This fly can be tied in sizes outside the ones nominated above and also in other colours. Rust is particularly deadly.

Requests for this fly over the past year have prompted us to feature this fly pattern.

The Pattern

Bushy's Dun is one of those patterns that know just has to work. Combining many characteritics of other well known patterns he has come up with an interesting fly that works well. As guides on the Goulburn and Rubicon Rivers we wouldn't venture out without a supply of them and the numberof fish caught locally with them each season would be too great to count. The fly combines a heavy hook and water absorbing body material that keeps it anchored in the film. The parachurte tie ensures it lands the correct way every time and this alone should see everyone fishing parachutes as their standard dun patterns.

So tie some up today. We are sure that not only will you enjoy looking at the finished product but that it will bring you success right through the trout season.