Tying Instructions: Bunny Leech

1. Slip a medium conehead onto the hook and secure the hook to the vise. Clip a small piece of leadfree wire, enough for about 5 wraps, and wrap this around the shank behind the conehead.
Step One
2. Push the wire wraps firmly against the back of the conehead. This is partially fill the space void and also keep the conehead from lateral movement. Secure the wire with thread wraps and lay a thread foundation to the bend of the hook.
Step Two
3. Take a section of Zonker (Rabbit) Strip and secure a section that is about 1/2 shank length at the bend of the hook. With the flowing fur, the tail piece will be over a shanks length in total. Any longer, you will have problems with short bites from the trout. Secure the piece with 4-5 overlaying thread wraps.
Step Three
4. Secure a piece of wire ribbing in front of the tailing section. Keep the wire ribbing on the bottom of the hook shank as you secure this piece with thread wraps up to the wire wraps.
Step Four
5. Bring the thread back to the bend of the hook and dub the thread with ice dubbing. The material should be well secured to the thread but not tightly roped.
Step Five
6. Wrap the ice dubbing up to the base of the conehead.
Step Six
7. Bring the rabbit strip over the top of the hook shank and secure the strip just behind the conehead with 4-5 thread wraps.
Step Seven
8. Next, wrap the ribbing with widely spaced spirols arouind the dubbed body and the rabbit strip. This is the same technique used with Matukas. Apply thread tension in a vertical manner as to not twist the rabbit strip.
Step Eight
9. Use a bodkin to separate the fibers at the base of the hide.
Step Nine
10. Apply the wire ribbing up to the conehead and secure with thread wraps.
Step Ten
11. Attach a piece of crosscut rabbit strip just behind the conehead, tucking the tag end into the space of the cone. Secure with 8-9 thread wraps.
Step Eleven
12. Wrap the crosscut strip around the shank twice behind the conehead and secure with thread wraps.
Step Twelve
13. Trim off the tag end and secure with further thread wraps. Attach two flashabou sections to each side of the shank behind the conehead. Whip Finish.
Step Thirteen

©2023 Steve Schalla
This page is not to be copied without my explicit permission.