Lusk’s Koura IX

Lusk’s Koura Tying Instructions

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The materials required for Lusk’s Koura. Strung Marabou & Extra Select Craft Fur.

  1. Add the tungsten bead or conehead to the hook and insert into vice. If using coneheads glue them in place before beginning to tie so they do not rotate when you are tying the fly.
  2. Make dubbing brush. For a #6 hook cut fibres about 30-35mm long. For a #10 cut fibres to 25-30mm long. To make the dubbing brush even start at the top of the craft fur and cut even lengths of fur across the top.

All the components of Lusk’s Koura. Dubbing Brush, Two Strung Marabou feathers and a hook with a tungsten conehead.

  1. Tie in the dubbing brush as far back as practically possible and wrap around twice to create a small mound of dubbing brush that will splay the marabou claws. Tie down hard or the dubbing brush will twist when bringing it towards the eye of the hook.

Dubbing brush tied in to create the splayed claws. Note it has been tied in hard and then pulled back out of the way.

  1. Slick down the marabou in your mouth or with some water. Measure two claws of the same length and cut. I have marks on my tying bench and cut the marabou at 30mm for the #10, 35mm for the #6. Do not use Woolly Bugger Marabou as it is not stiff enough.

Marabou slicked down ready for measurement and cutting.

  1. Tie in the marabou positioning the butt ends at the weight and splaying around the dubbing brush at the bend end of the hook. Tie down hard as if it is not tied down hard the dubbing brush will rotate the materials when wound forward.

Marabou claw tied in. Position the cut end of the marabou against the conehead or bead head. Repeat with the second claw on the other side. Tie down hard or the fly will twist.  

Both claws tied in.

  1. Wind the dubbing brush forward to the bead or cone, cut and tie off.

Dubbing Brush tied forward and tied off before gluing.  

  1. Glue using a flexible cement rather than a stiff one that dampens the action of the materials.

Colours

I have resisted the temptation to blend craft fur on my craft fur dubbing brushes as it is another degree of difficulty and is unnecessary. Instead I have made both black and brown koura, with the intention of using the black koura after dark.

Next

 

I. Lusk’s Koura | II. Further Design Work | III. Trout & Flies for Similar Conditions | IV. Design Features for the Next Prototype | V. Rethinking the Koura Pattern | VI. Prototype 3, 4 & 5 | VII. A Fish Catching Fly | VIII. Further Design Work II | IX. Lusk’s Koura Tying Instructions | X. Fishing Lusk’s KouraXI. The Best Pattern | XII. A Revised Pattern | XIII. A Jig Hook Koura 

This series of articles is available as an ebook on Amazon.

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