How to Tie a Durable Bunny Leech

The venerable bunny leech is one of the most effective fly patterns of all time. Casting and retrieving a strip of rabbit fur on a hook is often all it takes to catch trout, bass, pike, or even tarpon. Rabbit simply moves like a living food item, and predatory fish find it irresistible.

A bunny leech is one of my go-to flies for migratory trout, steelhead, and salmon. But the way anadromous fish—sea-run or lake-run fish—take a fly demands a few modifications to the traditional design. The bunny leech is nothing new, but like most things in fishing, the devil is in the details.

This version is designed specifically for swinging flies to migratory salmonids. It incorporates a trailing hook, a flexible FireLine connection, and a little flash to create a durable, streamlined fly that swims naturally in the current.

Step-by-Step Bunny Leech Tying Instructions

1. Add the bead and front hook

Add a bead to a #4 or #6 hook. I prefer to use beads no larger than 5/32" so the fly is easy to cast. I prefer hooks with an upturned or straight eye, but it really doesn’t matter. Eventually, you’re going to cut this hook off. As an alternative, shanks work very well, but I’ve been tying these flies this way for years and simply buy inexpensive hooks for the purpose.

2. Prepare the trailer hook

Cut approximately 4 inches of 30-pound Berkley FireLine and loop it around a short-shank, sticky hook such as a #2 Owner Mosquito Hook. I like to add a few glass beads to the FireLine for a little extra flash and fish attraction. The overall length of the fly is entirely up to you, but I typically tie these 3–4 inches long.

3–4. Attach the trailer connection

Secure the FireLine to the front hook with tight thread wraps. Leave a short piece of FireLine standing upright. Double the tag end back over the shank and wrap it down securely. Add a little head cement to the thread wraps. This creates a remarkably strong connection and keeps the fly from coming apart after repeated hookups.

5. Attach the rabbit strip

Measure and cut a piece of rabbit strip extending from the rear trailer hook to the eye of the front hook. Secure the rabbit strip to the trailer hook with several tight thread wraps just behind the eye. It helps to wet the rabbit down with a little saliva while tying—it keeps the fibers under control and makes the job easier. Whip finish or half-hitch and cut the thread. For good measure, add a small dab of head cement.

6. Add the flash

Restart your thread on the front hook and build a dubbing loop. I like a long, flashy material such as Ice Wing Fiber, but this is really a matter of personal preference. Keep it sparse. Wrap the material forward, stopping just behind the bead and leaving a small gap.

7–8. Finish the rabbit leech

Bring the rabbit strip forward and secure it with several tight thread wraps just behind the bead. Whip finish or half-hitch and add a little head cement. Add two strands of Flashabou to each side of the fly. This gives the bunny leech just enough flash to catch a fish's attention without overpowering the natural movement of the rabbit.

9–10. Remove the front hook

Cut the front hook just behind the dubbing. A horse-hoof nipper works great for this.File the cut end of the remaining shank to dull it. This is an important step because a sharp edge could potentially cut the FireLine when a fish is hooked.

Fish the Bunny Leech on the Swing

I tie this bunny leech pattern in a variety of colors and sizes and fish it with absolute confidence wherever I happen to be casting my ALLFLY for migratory salmonids.

For steelhead, salmon, and other migratory trout, the pattern's combination of rabbit's natural movement, a trailing hook, and just enough flash makes it an excellent swung fly. Sometimes the simplest patterns are the ones you reach for most often—and this one has earned its place in my fly box.