bunny foot emerger
Hello HipWaders! There are some flies i’ve considered keeping to myself, due in part to the "secret weapon" feelings anglers get when a pattern is so easy to tie and catches lots of fish. This pattern falls into that category. It has, on many occasions, been the difference between catching, and being skunked. Like any good emerger, the pattern needs to ride low, be visible to the angler and look buggy to the trout. I’ve found that when trout are truly keen on taking emergers, they can be VERY selecive. Its been my experience that these patterns need to be accurate in size, and very close in colour. The bunny foot emerger, tied in different shades and sizes, can suggest a wide variety of insects. Its slim, minimal, segmented body is quite true to the dimensions of real insects. It works well almost all the time, often when conventional dubbed-bodies don’t produce.
On a visit to the upper Grand last year, I came upon an area where there were a good number of brown trout "rising." There were some caddis around, but a small BWO hatch was going on at the same time. As I watched the fish, I noticed a few were slashing at some caddis as they were trying to take flight. The majority, however, were not really "rising" at all. They would come up, take something near the surface, and return to their hold. It created a "dimple" in the surface, but their mouths never left the water. This appeared to me to be "textbook" emerger-taking behavior! I tied on the bunny foot emerger, and caught 3 fish in the first 5 casts! While I wish I was right ALL the time, I think I made the right call that day. The pattern has worked well for me "matching the hatch," and as a general searching pattern.
Hook:Tiemco model #2487 Size #10-#22
Thread:8/0 tan (or colour to match)
Abdomen:Goose biot, pale olive (or colour to match)
Thorax:Pale olive super fine dry fly dubbing (or colour ot match)
Wing:Medium dun-coloured Snowshoe Rabbit’s foot
Tie in, wind thread back a bit past where the bend starts, as shown. Strip a goose biot off the stem, and moisten it. With the tip of the biot at the tie in point, and the "notch" in the base of the biot facing toward the rear of the fly, tie-in with 3-4 wraps of thread.
Begin to wrap, bringing the biot down to a position where you can get your hackle pliers attached to help you. If you have a fuzzy rib created when you wrap, you may have tied the biot in with the notch facing forward. Tied in properly, there will be a tiny, fuzzy rib on the leading edge of the wrap when it is on the fly. When you wrap it forward, you overlap the next wrap ONLY enough to cover the "tiny, fuzzy rib."
When you each the end, tie off.
Trim a small clump of hair from the bottom of the rabbit’s foot. If you have not used it before, it is a slippery wool-like material. (heavy scissors help!) Pinch the tips and remove any wooly fluff (underfur) from the cut end of the clump. Tie in as shown, length of the wing is up to you. I like slightly oversized ones. DON NOT trim the butt end.
Add some dubbing to your thread, pull the butt end of the "clump" up and dub a few wraps to hold it in position. NOTE:"less is more"
When you observe insects as much as I do, you begin to realize that almost all patterns are too bulky. One peek into a fly fishing guide’s box will usually reveal that the pros have figured that out a long time ago!
Dub in front of the wing, making it "one." Trim the butt end a little shorter than "tip" end. The wing will ride almost perfectly upright, set the angle (using the dubbing) to get the body to hang the way you want it too.
The finished fly.
Bunny Foot Emerger
On a visit to the upper Grand last year, I came upon an area where there were a good number of brown trout "rising." There were some caddis around, but a small BWO hatch was going on at the same time. As I watched the fish, I noticed a few were slashing at some caddis as they were trying to take flight. The majority, however, were not really "rising" at all. They would come up, take something near the surface, and return to their hold. It created a "dimple" in the surface, but their mouths never left the water. This appeared to me to be "textbook" emerger-taking behavior! I tied on the bunny foot emerger, and caught 3 fish in the first 5 casts! While I wish I was right ALL the time, I think I made the right call that day. The pattern has worked well for me "matching the hatch," and as a general searching pattern.
Tying The Bunny Foot Emerger Fly Pattern
Bunny Foot EmergerHook:Tiemco model #2487 Size #10-#22
Thread:8/0 tan (or colour to match)
Abdomen:Goose biot, pale olive (or colour to match)
Thorax:Pale olive super fine dry fly dubbing (or colour ot match)
Wing:Medium dun-coloured Snowshoe Rabbit’s foot
Tie in, wind thread back a bit past where the bend starts, as shown. Strip a goose biot off the stem, and moisten it. With the tip of the biot at the tie in point, and the "notch" in the base of the biot facing toward the rear of the fly, tie-in with 3-4 wraps of thread.
Begin to wrap, bringing the biot down to a position where you can get your hackle pliers attached to help you. If you have a fuzzy rib created when you wrap, you may have tied the biot in with the notch facing forward. Tied in properly, there will be a tiny, fuzzy rib on the leading edge of the wrap when it is on the fly. When you wrap it forward, you overlap the next wrap ONLY enough to cover the "tiny, fuzzy rib."
When you each the end, tie off.
Trim a small clump of hair from the bottom of the rabbit’s foot. If you have not used it before, it is a slippery wool-like material. (heavy scissors help!) Pinch the tips and remove any wooly fluff (underfur) from the cut end of the clump. Tie in as shown, length of the wing is up to you. I like slightly oversized ones. DON NOT trim the butt end.
Add some dubbing to your thread, pull the butt end of the "clump" up and dub a few wraps to hold it in position. NOTE:"less is more"
When you observe insects as much as I do, you begin to realize that almost all patterns are too bulky. One peek into a fly fishing guide’s box will usually reveal that the pros have figured that out a long time ago!
Dub in front of the wing, making it "one." Trim the butt end a little shorter than "tip" end. The wing will ride almost perfectly upright, set the angle (using the dubbing) to get the body to hang the way you want it too.
The finished fly.
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