Crazy On Rabbit

[Catalpa_Joe 0]

I just started tying some of these. Never realized how easy it was. I cut my own strips from hides I picked up on Ebay. Look out bass, here comes Catalpa Joe.

[flyfishingtaz 0]

hey Joe, any tips on how to tie? mine always unwrap after tie it down, and seem bulky at the wraps.

[flykid 0]

What size do you like them for bass and do you use them for smallmouth or largemouth? Also do you weight them in any way? I also got some rabbit hide pieces off of ebay. So far I've only used them for big 10 in. pike flies.

[flykid 0]

Sorry, never mind about the weight question. After a closer look I see the cone heads.

[JSzymczyk 0]

might want to wear a full-face helmet when you start getting those things wet.... they have great action in the water and will catch fish- but they cast like bricks. It's worth it though when you get someplace where they produce well. In sizes about 3 inches long and larger, we cast them very well on our light spinning rods and 4 lb test.

 

that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

[CM_Stewart 0]

Nice looking flies, Catalpa Joe. Those'll catch some fish!

 

How did you cut the strips, one at a time or did you make some type of multi-blade tool to do a bunch at a time?

 

 

JSzymczyk, how do you weight the ones you cast on an ultralight spinning rod? Coneheads, lead dumbbell eyes or do you just tie them on jig heads?

 

 

Anyone know how much coneheads weigh so you could compare them to dumbbells and jig heads?

[Catalpa_Joe 0]

I'll try to get some pics of how I tie them this weekend. Sort of a step by step. Hope that will answer some of your questions. I'm sure everybody has a different way that they like, so take what you can, & share the rest. :yahoo:

[JSzymczyk 0]

CM- sometimes XS lead eyes, but most of the time no weight at all. the bunny hide holds so much water that they are heavy enough to cast decently. I use 4lb trilene xl, heavier or stiffer line might make it not so fun. If you put too much weight in the pattern, it ruins the natural, slowly falling action of the fly.

 

by the way, do a fairly heavy, several back-and-forth layers, wrap of thread on the shank of the hook, then coat it well with "regular" CA glue before wrapping the bunny strip on the shank. Do it right because normally you only get one shot. Tie it off at the head and it will not come unwrapped, period.

 

I know some will see this as blasphemy- but I've found I can cast a 4 inch plastic worm on my 7wt fly rod better than a 4 inch bunny leech. Neither of them are very pretty to cast, but I ain't pretty to begin with. I take a number 1 or 1/0 light wire aberdeen hook, put a slight bend in the shank near the eye, and tie in a small "barb" of heavy mono to hold the head of the worm on during casting, then rig it weedless. No, it's not as satisfying as catching something on my own fly, but in the right conditions, that little unweighted worm is a killer.

[Harold Ray 0]

I'll try to get some pics of how I tie them this weekend. Sort of a step by step.

 

I was tying some of these tonight, then took a break to check an auction I was watching for a Waterworks-Lamson ULA Force Saltwater/Spey 4 Large Arbor reel. It will fit anything from a 8wt to a 12wt rod, depending on the line its loaded with. I'll use it for the Texas Gulf Coast. While I was watching and waiting, I thought I'd check to see what was happening and found this thread. I had seen these tied last week at Mountain Home during the Sowbug tying show. They looked great, and easy, and after doing a few, they are fun, fast and extremely easy to do, plus they look like they should catch fish, lots of hair for lots of action. I'm going to do a bunch more this weekend, large, small and a bunch of colors.

 

Also, I got the reel! It normally costs $599.00; I got it on ebay for $416.85 or 30% off the retail price. I was really happy about getting it. I'm going to put it on a TFO Ti Cr X 9" 12wt rod for the surf, BTB and levees. Normally when shops are buying reels, the selling price to the business owner is around 66.6% or the retail price. I figure I got the reel for about $16.00 more than he paid for it. Guess you can tell I am a little happy about geting that dude!

 

I'm going to make some large bunny leeches on saltwater hooks, 2/0, 3/0 and 5/0, and use them the 8wt, 10wt and 12wts on the flats, surf and BTB. Looks to me like these should attrack big fish!

 

Catalpa Joe,

 

Good question a while ago, how are you cutting those rabbit hides, fur down with a knife or what. I need a good idea on doing the cutting. I had wondered if one of those big paper cutters would do the job, but didn't have one to try. If they would one probably could be bought pretty cheap.

 

Also where are you getting the hides for the brightly colored strips; is someone on ebay selling dyed hides; or are you dyeing your own, or just buying the already dyed strips?

 

JSzymczyk,

 

You're right about multiple wraps and plenty of glue. Doing those two things stop the slipping. When I'm tying the strip down, I make about three or four loose wraps and then cinch it down while pulling upward. That seems to hold everything in place pretty well.

 

Ray

[flykid 0]

Harold Ray, I bought some rabbit off of ebay and it was a variety pack by hareline dubbin. Theres about 6 pieces of 6 different colors. The pieces are a decent size. As far as cutting them I cut my strips with a razor as I need them because the hide pieces were irregular shaped. This is just what I did catalpa joe might have bought different rabbit. Hope this helped a little.

[Catalpa_Joe 0]

The hides I got were actually not full hides, looked like they were already cut for the prime pieces. I had to watch carefully the grain of the hair so that I cut either strips or crosscut. I held the hide in my fly vice, hide up, & pulled it fairly tight. Then with a razor knife, $.88 at Walmart, pushed the tip of the razor thru the hide then pulled it the length of the hide. You don't cut any of the hair this way. It was tricky to get a consistent width & it will take some practice to avoid cutting it too wide or too narrow. I don't think a paper cutter would work as it would cut the adjacent hair that you'd want to use. If this sounds like something you don't want to do, then try flyfishusa.com. I saw some hides already cut on there. Kind of expensive but ready to use.

[Catalpa_Joe 0]

Here's the step by step that I use to tie the leech.

The materials, Mustad 3906 #4, Danvilles flat waxed nylon from Cabels, 6mm Brass cone head, pearl Krystal flash, rabbit color of your choice. You could use Kevlar thread or use something that will allow you to really, really, REALLY tie it tight.

Rabbit hide held in the vise ready to cut into strips. I used a razor knife from Walmart.

The cut strips about 6" long. I only used a piece about 3" lg of the black for the tail.

Trim the hair back on both pieces by about 1/4". This is where you'll tie it in. Note the direction of the hair away from the hook.

Assemble the cone head on the hook. Build up behind the eye appx 1/8" with thread so the inside of the cone head almost fits snuggly over the thread. Tie of with several half hitches & cut thread. Apply head cement on thread. I've been using polyurethane varnish (latex based) with good results & no smell. Start the thread again behind the cone head & wrap the shank all the way to the bend. Apply more cement to this new thread. Tie in a piece of 20# mono & wrap it well into the bend. This will be the weed guard. More cement over the mono. Wrap back to the beginning of the bend. Tie in the rabbit in the area that has the hair trimmed. Tie it really tight.

The next step I learned from The Art of Tying the Bass Fly by Skip Morris. It's a piece of 10# mono that acts as a stiffener for the rabbit to keep it from fouling on the hook bend. Cut a piece of 10# mono about 8" lg & double it over. Crimp the loop with needle nose pliers so that it takes a set. With the mono threaded in a large sewing needle push the needle thru the hide appx 1/4" back from the bend. Don't pull it all the way thru. Then push the needle back up thru the hide appx 1/4" back from the first point. Now grab only one end of the mono & pull it completely thru & remove the needle. Work the mono back & forth until the crimped loop is at the point where it goes thru the hide.

Tie off the 10# mono & clip the loose ends. More cement to lock the thread.

Tie in the Krystal flash & the crosscut strip. Wind the thread forward & apply cement.

With the cone head against the eye, wind the rabbit forward & tie off with several half hitches. More cement on the half hitches. Push the cone head back against the rabbit. Start the thread again in front of the cone head. Push the 20# mono weed guard thru the eye from the bottom. Wrap the thread over the mono. Fold the mono back from the top side of the eye & wrap with thread. Clip the excess mono, several finishing wraps to secure, half hitches & final cement on the head. You're done. :yahoo:

[CM_Stewart 0]

 

I've found I can cast a 4 inch plastic worm on my 7wt fly rod better than a 4 inch bunny leech.

 

(snip)

 

in the right conditions, that little unweighted worm is a killer.

 

Ever try just a 4 inch zonker strip?