LEECH: Bunny

[John Pierce]

FLY: Leech - Bunny

Submitted by Dave Robinson

NOTE
2020-04-11 This fly was demo'd by DaveR in Videoconference Fly Tying Session.

MATERIALS

• Hook: #6 Streamer 2x long
• Bead: Cone head or heavy Bead
• Weight: Lead free wire
• Thread: 6/0 Colour to suit body, can us heavier 3/0 for synching down.
• Body: Rabbit strip - Tan, Olive or your choice, many colours and widths available, like thin cut as easy to wind around shank of hook.
• Gills: Red marabou or Ostrich herl

METHOD

• Bead on hook.
• Wrap lead up to bead, add few extra wraps at front, push weight up against bead, to lock bead in front.
• Tie in thread behind bead and wrap down shank to bend to dress the hook.
• Rabbit Strip has nap with fur sticking out one direction, start with end that hair sticks out, measure shank length of leather, rub fur from the point forward to create V in fur, lay down on shank at bend and tie on over leather.
• Wrap thread forward to behind bead.
• Wrap Rabbit Strip around shank side-by-side (no overlap) while stroking back hair. Tie off and trim excess Rabbit Strip. Push little stick out of leather into cone head with thumb nail to get out of way.
• To add colour/hot spot (strike point) at front, tie on Ostrich Herl behind bead with thread in front and behind, trim off.
• Whip Finish and optional Head Cement.

OPTIONS

• Can add Booby eyes, helps to float up off bottom of lakes.
• Add flat Flashabou into tail (not crinkly Krystal Flash as fur gets hung up with it).
• No Weight, and use dense Rabbit Strips to act like a Mouse fly for rivers.

COMMENTS

• This is a simple but effective wet fly pattern for lakes that causes a lot of disturbance in the water.
• Leeches are invertebrates not insects, come in variety of sizes and colours depending on environments.
• When swim, leeches undulate and shrink and stretch out.
• Bunny Leech is an attractor Leech pattern, when strip it gets skinny when stop puffs up like when a leech swims.
• Bunny Leeches float so often have weight.
• This Bunny Leech pattern has some added colour.