Bi-Colored Bunny Fly

[AndrewP]

I like to tie with rabbit strips; I love the action it makes in the water. My go-to fly has been a simple all-white bunny fly (rabbit strip tail, cross-cut rabbit body) and I've caught lots of fish with it.

But, I wanted to get two colors. I tried the Scott Sanchez method (the double bunny) but that was not quite what I had in mind.

Finally sat down at the vice and came up with a simple way to get two colors. The trick is to tie in the (top color) rabbit strip Matuka-style over the cross-cut rabbit body (lower color).

It's a super quick and easy fly to tie. Add lead wrap if you want a little more sink; add some side flash if you desire.

Here are a couple of samples I tied up. I'm sure you can come up with some other color combinations that would work.

Enjoy.


http://inlinethumb35.webshots.com/45410/2308595720049956418S600x600Q85.jpg (http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2308595720049956418MsecIB)

[Bob Parsons]

Good looking flies.

[Captcastafly]

Good looking bunnies!

Hareline Dubbing does a great job with their two tone dying process. Plenty of colors and ways to be creative.

[saltydancindave]

Looks like you're found tying in the crosscut first & then tying in the single tail piece - body - head afterwards. Same effect like some of the EP 2-tone tarpon flies:cool:

[lemaymiami]

Very nice looking. Those bugs should draw bites anywhere you fish them. Use a bit heavier hook (I use Owner Aki's) and those would be great flies for giant tarpon.

[BN2FSH]

AndrewP- a question. How did you tie in the top strip? Is it tied in at the bend and behind the eye? This will be a great rainbow fly for here in Alaska. Phil

[AndrewP]

Phil: The order I tie in:

First tie in the tail (top color) at the bend of the hook, leaving enough strip to reach the eye of the hook.

Next tie in your cross-cut right next to the bend and the tail-strip. Palmer forward to near the eye, tie off. I then push all the hair that lies on top of the fly to either side, or sometimes give the top cross-cut hairs a trim. Only reason for doing all that is to get the hairs out of the way for the top strip.

Last, bring top strip over and secure at the eye of the fly.

Easy-peasy.


I've tested the olive/white colors so far and the snook and small tarpon love it. I'm waiting to try some of the darker color combos in some stained or off-colored water areas like Choko or Everglades ....

[saltydancindave]

Just might tie a few of those & see how the flyfishing club likes them at next weeks flytying.:cool:

[Bob Parsons]

Why not just palmer in the belly and then lay on the top? Is the sequence critically to the finished product?

[wasque]

The flies look good and bunnies have great action. Have you had any problem with the tail fouling? It's a common problem unless you tie in a mono loop in one form or another.

[AndrewP]

Bob: The order is probably not critical; I normally tie materials from the tail to the head, so that's why I did it that way ...... sure it could work like you explained.

Wasque: yes, I do sometimes get some fouling. The longer the tail, the mre frequesnt it happens. At the length I normally tie (like these) it isn't too bad. You can of course use your favorite technique for anti-fouling -- a mono loop, a mono spike, or something to stiffen (the hide) part of the tail at the tie-in point.

I am not near the tier of many here, and there is one area of the fly I'd like to make more durable -- the eyes. I use glue, but invariable after a fish I end up throwing a one-eyed fly. It seems the eye has a bit of a problem really sticking to the cross-cut.

Any suggestions?

[saltydancindave]

Usually for the tarpon flies eyes, Amazing Goop / Plumbing at Wal-Mart for a few $; or for what is supposedly the best : Fletch Tite, arrowing fletching glue for $$.:cool:

[flycaster9]

I have found a small drop of gorilla glue holds eyes better than anything else

[bonefishdick]

I have seen lots of flies tied by lots of people on this site and others, some are impressive and others are nice.

These Are VERY IMPRESSIVE.

Well done !

[jalthoff]

I did some experimenting last summer with similar flies and had lots of luck.

The most success I had (with stripers) was doing them with bead chain or dumbell eyes.

Woth small bead chains, tied exactly as above. With dumbells, same pattern, just inverted (magnum bunny facing "up" - same direction as hook point).

Not sure why, but orange cross cut under olive "back" worked best for me, probaly because I liked it the most!

Same thing on fouling - 30 pound mono loops.

[flyrdr]

Another method for bi color bunny flies is to use a topping of craft fur or another material. For a good example go to www.neflyrodders.org and in the fly pattern section check out the DSM Bunny fly

[PPoitras]

nice looking flies, what is the difference between the crosscut bunny fur and the other cut?

[bostoned]

Cross-cut bunny is cut across the grain to the hair is running to the side whereas a regular bunny is cut with the grain so the hair runs with the strip.

Has anyone tried tying it in the same manner as AndrewP but with a mono spike through the bunny tail to help prevent fouling?

I think I am going to try it that way tonight and see how it looks. I might be able to get out this weekend and give it a shot.

[bostoned]

As a follow-up to this, I tied up a couple bunny flies in barred chartreuse and cross-cut white with pink tips on 2/0 hooks. I wrapped the hook with lead wire to help get them down quicker and used mono loops on the back to prevent fouling.

Got out last night and caught 2 bass with it. It looked nice in the water and since I caught more than the other 2 guys on the boat I think it was a good color combo.

I can post a pic or two tonight.

[richconn]

Excellent idea!!! I love double bunny's but gluing the strips together is a pain in the butt. Nicely done, I'm sold.