Kosciusko Dun (Thorax Tie)              

Hook:  Tiemco TMC 100 # 8 - 12

Thread: Tan 6/0 Uni Thread

Wing: Grey Hi-Vis

Tail:    Light coloured Microfibbetts or Hackle Fibres

Body: Cream dubbing. Natural or Artificial. In this case rabbit.

Hackle: 1 Cream and 1 Dun

1/ Tie in your thread just behind the hook eye. Wind back to a point roughly1/4 to 1/3 along the hook shank and towards the rear of the fly. This is the point at which you will tie in your Hi-Vis wing post. Use the photo to the right to gauge exactly how far to take the thread. Once you are happy with the way it looks proceed to Step 2.
2/ Tie in a section of Hi Vis winging material as shown. That is flat and level with the hook using the figure eight method. The Hi Vis should be tied in half way along it's length and remember to use use a bunch half as dense as you require as you will be doubling it back on itself in the next step and using too much will make the wing too bulky. When this is complete go to step 3.
3/  Now pinch the wing material together and hold in a vertical position. Take several turns of thread in a horizontal plane up the wingpost and then several again on the way down. Add as many wraps as needed to the front of the post as well to get it to stand in the upright position. This gives a great base upon which to tie your parachute hackle later. Trim the wing to size and shape and wind the thread to the rear of the hook.
4/ Select a small bunch of Hackle Fibres or Microfibbetts equal in length to the hook shank. Tie in as shown to form a tail and remove the excess tail filament stubs. Be sure to make sure that these filaments are roughly the same colour as the dubbing for the body. Feel free to flare them out if you wish as this can help the fly to sit correctly.
5/ Next up pinch a small amount of dubbing from the packet. Form a slightly tapered rope starting thin and gradually getting thicker. It may take several goes to get the right amount but once you are familiar with the particular hook size you are tying the fly in you should be able to grab the correct amount pretty much first time, every time. Go to the next step.
6/ Start winding this rope of dubbing you have constructed forward towards the upright wing you made in Step 3. Generally you will be winding forward, each successive turn just to the front of the previous one. However use your judgement and if you have to wind more or less depending on how the tapered body is coming along. Once this is completed wind the thread forward just in front of the wing.
7/ Now select two hackle feathers. One cream coloured and one light dun. Tie in with the shiny side facing slightly forward and away from you. Trim the feather stubs and wind forward of the wingpost. Add some more dubbing to the thread to finish off the body of the fly. This section of the pattern, the thorax, should be slightly more bulky than the rear body section (abdomen).
8/ Use your dubbed thread to construct your thorax. Wind forward tapering this section from thick to thin as you wind forward from the wing to the hook eye. Stop just back from the hook eye and remove any excess dubbing. Add a half hitch of thread behind the hook eye to secure it there while completing the next steps.
9/ Take one of the hackle feathers, in this case the dun coloured one, between your fingers and wind forward to the thread. This should be done with only three to four tuns as you will be doing this again with the second feather and although this is a bushy fly we don't want to over do it! When you reach the hook eye, catch the feather with the thread, tie off and trim the excess. A half hitch here should be applied.
10/ Now take the second feather and wind forward as in the previous step. Use approximately the same amount of turns and be careful not to crush any of the hackle wound on first. When you reach the thread again tie off and trim the excess. Rather than whip finish use two half hitches. Not only is this easier and less bulky but I have yet to have a fly come apart because of it.
11/ There you have your almost completed fly. All that is left to do now is to take your scissors and trim the hackle flat below the hook. Many like to trim it right against the hook but with this fly I prefer it as shown. You can also trim it in a V shape when viewed from the front and this is very effective in getting it to sit right. If the fly tips over or spins you have too much Hi Vis.

The Pattern

This is just one of the flies we fish in Kossie Dun hatches but it is very much a favourite. A high floater it is ideal for fishing the fast water that these insects seem to be most prolific in. Also the very visible wing suits the time that these guys seem to hatch most often....very last light. Aside from making a great match the hatch fly it can be a very effective indicator fly under which a nymph is fished especially on large tailwaters like the Goulburn, Mitta, Mitta or Swampy Plain Rivers.

Good fishing!

Antony, David and Geoff.