Bunny Leeches

[AF_Tier 0]

Hey guys, I've been trying up a couple dozen #4 Conehead Bunny Leeches in black and purple, and my imagination has started to wander in the direction of new colors.

 

I'd really like to try pink, two-tone purple pink, and other combinations, but at that point it becomes just a streamer, not really a leech imitation, right?

 

I'm having a hard time putting to words my thoughts on this, but I guess the best way to put it is what would be your motivation to move on from the standard colors? Of course, black is the dead-on imitation. Purple is popular, although I've never seen a purple leech. At what point are you going for a purely aggression/reaction strike? What would stop you from taking these leeches (to borrow from Motley Crue) down the wild side?

 

Vague questions, I know, but I lost the ability to articulate at about hour #3 at the vice.

 

 

 

Frank

 

 

[deeky 0]

I don't know about your leeches, but I've fished a lot of the real ones and never had a dead-on black one. They have been everywhere from slate gray to tan to even hints of olive. And if you are trying to stay to a strict leech pattern, I've never seen a real one with a big silver mushroom head on it.

 

My point? Who cares what colors you tie it in. I do think if you are staying to realistic leech colors, you are severly limiting your fish catching abiltiy. They will definitely catch fish, but there will be days when other colors will definitely catch better.

 

Go ahead, relieve yourself and do something different. Try tying in two strips of different colors in at the same time and then wrap them forward at the same time, being sure you don't bind down the hairs of one strip with the other strip. As long as the hairs are pretty close to the same length, it will give you a nice mottled effect.

 

Deeky

[David Legg 0]

I'm with Deeky on the general idea. Tie where your imagination takes you. And don't ever be afraid to toss a weird looking fly at the fish. Sometimes you are in for a real treat when you toss the odd creation out there. I used to fish a little thing I called the "cockroach" that I tied to imitate... yes you guessed it! A cockroach. It was a disgusting looking little thing, and the fish generally wanted to tear it apart every time I threw it. It used to really peeve some of the more experienced anglers when I showed them what I was hitting on, and what it was called. I remember one guy getting downright angry, and complaining that there was no way those fish had ever seen a cockroach, and it shouldn't work and blah blah blah...

I just said, "Hey, what can I say? Everyone wants to kill roaches on sight. Fish are no exception, apparently."

 

Have fun!

 

David <><

[canotstop24 0]

I would try all colors. Trout will strike out of anger and curiousity. Those brighter colors might anger a big trout and cause it to attack. I seen it happen alot at this one spot I go to. I was doing everything right yet could not land one. An older gentlemen came up and started dragging this big bright mess of a fly by this trout and after the thrid try he pulled in a 23 inch trout. Now I always have some big bright flies I tie for fun just to see if I can anger a trout and get them to bite. I think I might try some colorful leeches and see how they work, I usually use feathers.

[jacktjl 0]

Take a Walk on the Wild side with Lou Reed or go down the path with Frank Zappa and the Mother's of Invention.

[Guest]

I agree, tie lots of colors, bright and more subdued. Remember the fish don't see the color the way you do when it's on your vise. The water clarity and the depth of the fly have a lot to do with how it looks when it's on the bottom of a deep hole. And also sometimes they just might think a cotton candy colored leach looks tasty!

I usually fish the more natural looking stuff in clear or shallow water and go to the more robust colors the dirtier or deeper I am fishing. Have Fun!

[Moscow 0]

Purple, black and pink are standard steelhead leech colors around here. Of the three, black is the only one I haven't caught a steelhead on. I usually check the pink under a uv light to make sure it glows. Personally, I like the Articluated Leech better than a bunny leech.

 

Tim

Moscow, Idaho

[AF_Tier 0]

Thanks for all the tips on this one! 4 bags of crosscut and some wild combos produced some pretty crazy flies. But now that I think about it, they don't look all that different than spin tackle I've seen.

 

My Tequila Sunrise (red & orange with some blue dubbed in) mix might not produce any hits, but it'll have the trout (and other fishermen) asking "What the H*LL was that?!"

 

 

 

Frank

 

EDIT: A rough lesson learned on this fly. Failing to keep the hide as tight as possible (stretched almost to the breaking point) puts a slight amount of slack in the fly. By the time you get to the head, it's enough to allow you to "unwind" the fly with your fingers, turning it into a big mess. Good times.

[FishyboY 0]

I like tying my leeches in black personally. One thing that i have found that helps is put a small tail of red. Usually makes a trout react because they think the fly is "injured"

 

My favorite way to tie leeches is with moehair i would wrap black moehair 3/4 up the hook shank and red the other 1/4