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"SH69, I feel your pain." Steelhead Bunnies ..?

3K views 14 replies 3 participants last post by  fredaevans 
#1 · (Edited)
Have a hell of a time doing 'bunnie' patterns using rabbit strips.


HINTS!!???? Beg, beg:(

Now how the hell (other than not paying enough attention) I got this on the Atlantic Salmon board is beyond me ... other than I'm chasing Spring Kings with these things. Couple of fish hooked/released this morning. Both on the Scott 10wt and about 20# each.
fe
 
#2 ·
hey fred.....

Want me to send you some? I mean the ones I tie up? Would be no problem, and can tie them weighted or unweighted for you. Then you can get an idea of what they look like.

But what I do, is I buy the Zonker cut rabbit. Not the actual leech cut. The zonker is cut with the flow of hair to lay back, and the leech is cut across the flow of hair for easier palmering. I use zonker since it creates more of a breathability profile in the water. It usually will matt down to an extent in the water. I normally tie in a size4 or 2 octopus hook on either dacron or some sort of superline and then weave it onto the main fly hook (a size 1 or 1/0 and for kings up to 3/0). I have the trailer hook about 2 inches behind main hooks bend. Then, i will put a few turns of .030 lead around main fly hook to help weigh her down a bit. Then I lead the tail so that the trailer hook is barely covered by the tail. I will either have hook drive into the rear tail and tie in with a couple half hitches or just leave free without tie downs in the tail. Then, where the strip hits bend of hook, I tie down the rear section and palmer forward up to the eye of hook. Make your head and cement her down. I stopped using barbell eyes for weight, because I wanted more of a natural drift, and not the "jig" float the weight forward caused.

Let me know if you want me to send you a couple.

Jerry

If I can make it to the spey clave, will show you first hand.
 
#3 ·
"ST69" Beg, beg, Grovel, grovel, wimper ...

God I'd love some for the spring kings. Can you do a few for me in red, black and ...... (sorry guys) pink. Love them in a size 1 or 1/0 hook.

Spey Clave is out for me this year as I've got to be a teacher at a Rogue Comm. col. class. Too many other teachers have bailed so I'm stuck. Damn and Double Damn:mad:

With just short of 40 students signed up for the class no way I can bail. Back to the D and double D.

ps: Couple more and I've got the 'summer swap' "Original Otis Bugs' ready for you. Done them up without weighting same; don't know who/where they'll be fished so if someone needs to sink them better they can use a sink tip, spin on lead, or split shot.
fe
 
#4 ·
Ok Fred

Do you want these as double hook setups, as in, do you want a trailer hook? Then, do you want them weighted? Will tie you up a couple of each once I find out what you want. Will tie up in size 1/0, but will drop trailer down to size 1-2 or if you want, can tie in another 1/0 octopus for trailer if you want the double hook setup.

:D
 
#5 ·
God, I've never seen them done with a trailer hook before.

As these are going on 1/0 hooks, and will be used behind a 300 or 400 grain RIO big boy, don't think addl. wt. will be necessary. The trailer hook could be a 1 or a 2; a 2 may be more to the point as I'm fishing deep pools so very large hooks aren't hugely necessary. Many thanks my friend.

Also have the summer fly swap flys (crappy English there.) ready to go. Would you re-post your address so I can send them up to you.
tnx!!
Fred
 
#6 ·
Ok, here's the address

Jerry Daschofsky
5085 NE 37th ST
Tacoma, WA 98422

Hey Fred, Need your address too. Have the flies ready. I tied up 3 in double hook setup. They're big, but I tied them up for Kings. The rest are on a single 1/0 hook. This way it gives to a chance to try the double hook to see if you like it. I don't tie the strip to the trailer. Ii simple stick the hook once through the end so it natrually trails with the tail. Can have them in the mail by tomorrow. :)

Unfortunately I'm home sick today, so was able to tie them up. It's nice to be able to tie, keeps my head clear by tying. Feel like crap, but this keeps me feeling so so.
 
#8 ·
I tie the Bunnies the same way a STL69 does. I use mine on pike so they don't tend to last very long with those toothy critters.
I tie them quite long, up to 8 inches long, so to keep the longer "tails" working/moving, I glue 3 to 4 long (4 inches+)Moose Body hairs onto the rabbit strip before tying it on, zonker style. This keeps a better profile and makes the fly swim better. An alternate if heavy mono, works equally well.
 
#12 ·
Sounds like I'm 'good to go;' Into the post

tommorow.

Have done all of them up in the "original Otis Bug" pattern but the body material (it's just med. chenile) can be changed for the river/conditions at hand. Fellows on the Deschutes use this pattern done up in a purple colour with good results. Dave K. noted he found a similar pattern called the 'carpet bagger' that used a combo of white and black rubber legs with the purple chenile.

Rogue fish, I guess, are a little less 'flashie' in what gets/holds their short attention span.
:smokin:
 
#13 ·
st69; I no longer 'feel the pain!'

Postman brought me a wonderful care package this afternoon. God you tie a great Bunnie. On the river from 430 till 7pm with Jim (JD) Jones. One huge grab which I just plain missed.

Jim and I will be out the door at dawn tomorrow to give these babies a full court press test:devil:

Many many thanks.
Fred
 
#14 ·
Thanks Fred

Glad you liked the bunnies. Let me know how you do. They're a great all around fly. Yeah, you really gotta watch those flies, they're usually a quick hit and then run. Were you running the ones with a trailer? Usually they'll help if you're sleeping on the fly, but not always. Those trailer hooks are SHARP, but heck, even the main hooks are sharp.

Hope you like them.
 
#15 ·
Thrashed the water to foam ....

with ZIP to show for it between. Talked to a couple of guides who were also scratching their heads ..... lock jaw time. But Jim's out there now thrashing the water and I'll be pulling at 4pm to fish til dark with him.

Going to try (should I say this in public????) try them on a drift rod to see if the slower swing will get/keep their attention.
fe
 
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