Bloody Baby Bunny Buggar
By Mike Hawkins
This is a great cold/warm water transition fly. I fished a version of this fly at Albert Pike several months ago for trout and had one of my best days ever there. Since then I have caught some nice bass and bream. This is good fly to finish up the trout season and start with some warm water trips. It incorporates a twisted dubbing loop technique that I am really fond of because of the durability. In addition to the dubbing looped body, the bunny strip collars are twisted on thread instead of a wire brush which works much better on a small fly to help reduce the weight and material bulk buildup at the head of the fly. The rabbit strips give the fly a lot of movement in the water. I use a heavy wire nymph hook (Tiemco TMC5262) which gives the fly a more natural lateral fall through the water column even with a brass bead. I hope it works well for you.
Material List
Bead - MFC 1/8”(3.3 mm) Brass Beads
Hook - Tiemco TMC5262 size 8
Thread - 70 Denier Gray (almost any color will do because thread is buried in collar)
Body Dubbing - 50/50 Blended Blue and Silver ice Dubbing
Collars - MFC Red and Gray Rabbit Zonker Strips (other colors work also)
Secure bead and wrap a slightly tapered thread body and return thread to bend of hook.
Make a dubbing loop and twist blended dubbing material
Wrap dubbing loop forward to about two eye widths from hook eye. At this point make the first dubbing loop with red rabbit strip and make one complete wrap.
Now form second dubbing loop with silver/gray rabbit zonker strip and wrap a couple wraps and secure behind bead.
Brush rabbit strip collars forward to blend together and then back to smooth out for finished fly.
On a side I really recommend the Smhaen dubbing twister. I have used a lot of dubbing twisters and this, hands down, is my favorite. Also, the 2” Hairline Material Clip system is the best I have used.
