Rabbit Strip Streamer Question

BelAirSteve

BelAirSteve

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I looked first, both in this forum and on the interwebs, but I could not find what I was looking for. I seem to recall someone discussing a streamer tied with nothing but a rabbit strip - tie it in at the rear for a tail, then palmer it up to a cone head, and tie it off. Does this ring a bell? It's kind of like a slump buster bunny leach thing, but for the life of me I can't find it. Am I imagining it, or has anyone tied something like this. Looking for a picture or instructions - I tried it, but just couldn't get it to look right.
 
I tie pretty much exactly what you described for steelhead. I tried jazzing it up with krystal flash or a hackle collar but always go back to just a rabbit strip, cone, and a hook. Cream colored rabbit is my favorite and it'll fish well on a dead drift or a swing.

I keep a small cup of water at my vise and use it to stroke the rabbit back as I wind it forward. Tie it off behind the cone and fish. I'll post a picture when I get a chance.
 
Just using the zonker strip and wrapping it around the shank of the hook is called a bunny leech.

For salmon and steel I just use a piece of zonker about twice the size of the shank of the hook, tie it in at the bend, tie in chenille and wrap to head, then tie in top of zonker strip. I usually use cone heads or large beads.
 
You can also wrap on a body of estaz, then tie on the rabbit strip at the hook eye and just behind the body. Also can then tie in a collar of mallard flank, and a bit of red hackle just behind the hook eye for gills. All white or all chartreuse work well as estaz/rabbit strip colors. I lead wrap the hook shank first and don't bother with a cone. Good for trout and smallmouth.
 
Here's a bunny leech using that technique, though I also added a FlyMen Fish Skull head at the front:

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOFM8gbldd8[/youtube]

TC
 
That's what I was looking for. Knew I would find out here. .. always do. Thanks.
 
Thanks for the great video on that rabbit streamer. I got to tie a few of those up!
 
 
You got it, Chris; now the more important question: Did you catch any fish on them yet?!?!

;-)

TC
 
Here is a sculpin pattern that I tie using rabbit strip. I did throw in a few strands of black krystal flash on both sides of the tail and I tied in two clumps of brown marabou just behind the sculpin helmet for pectoral fins. I tied it on a size 8 4XL streamer hook that rides hook up with the point totally covered by the palmered rabbit strip. The head is a Fish Skull Sculpin Helmet - Size - small in olive. I also wrap some heavy lead wire on the hook before palmering the rabbit strip so this fly sinks like a rock and stays on the bottom where the sculpins hang out.
 

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TC,

The other question would be how can you NOT catch trout on that streamer! I betcha it would make a nice saltwater pattern as well!

Chris
 
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