Bunny Leech Patten

btree

Published on October 6th, 2010 08:01 AM Number of Views: 397

1 Comment Comments

A cast in the direction of Phil Rowley's pattern.

Thread: Black
Hook: Size 2 streamer hook (cut off hook)
Stinger Hook: 14lb mono loop tied in Size 4 trailer hook
Bead: Big orange bead and small yellow bead
Tail: Black zonker tail, Burgundy flashabou under tail
Flash: Med. Purple crystal chenille butt
Body: Purple crosscut rabbit, Red, brown and purple flashabou
Hackle: Burgundy pheasant rump & Purple pheasant rump

_{This article was originally published in forum thread:

April Fly O' the Month - Leech Patten
started by
RickB} _{View original post}

1 Comment

btree - October 6th, 2010, 10:53 AM
- Reply
Well, this one can be a challenging tie due to the nature of rabbit, and also figuring out your stinger hook.

I cut my hook before I put it in the vise - I file the end to smooth off the sharp edge so as to not stab too many fish in the face. Next I slide on the bead(s) that I plan on using, then put the straight shank of a hook into the vise and start in my thread. Many different materials can be used to attach a stinger hook. I tie in my loop of ~15 lb mono and add glue or head cement to make it secure, then tie in tail.

The tail is zonker strip. Trim the rear tip to a point and trim a few millimeters off the front end you plan to tie in so that there is little hair left. This reduces bulk at the point where you tie in the tail. At this point, tie in the crystal chenille as a small egg shaped ball over where you tied in the tail, then get out your cross cut bunny and add a few wraps. Leave quite a bit of space for tying in your hackle and crystal flash. You can use what ever colours you prefer for any of the materials listed depending on your quarry. Contrasting colours can be as effective as complimentary colours - anything from drab and dull to bright and flashy can work at different times.

After you have added an appropriate amount of crystal flash to each side, or all around the fly, tie in your hackles and sweep them back across the body. Try to tuck the last wrap of hackle under the lip of the bead. Also try to tuck your whip finishing under the head. No head cement should be necessary but you can add some if you prefer.

Tips for using rabbit - moisten your fingers and wipe the rabbit fur strip you plan to use. A small amount of moisture will control the fluffy fibers and allow you to control it better. Also make sure you look at the differences between zonker and cross cut strips. They each have a specific use.

Other than that, this fly is challenging to cast, and often involves a sort of chuck-and-duck approach unless you have your roll cast dialed. A short head single hand line will be much easier to cast than a long belly line. Of course a skagit line for executing various spey casts will make things easier for many people with either single or double handed rods.

Don't forget to add the stinger hook before fishing.