Bodkin / Patterns

Foam Rat

Nymph · Largemouth Bass · Smallmouth Bass · Pike · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Wide-gap bass/stinger hook, 2-6
  • Thread Tan or gray 210 denier flat / 3/0

Materials

  • Tail Natural/gray material (rabbit strip, one shank long)
  • Body Natural/gray material (crosscut rabbit palmered, plus deer hair)
  • Buoyancy/back Gray or tan material (2mm foam strip over the top)
  • Ears Tan carapace (small foam or leather tabs, optional)
  • Eyes Black ostrich herl (small bead-chain or painted, optional)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the hook and lay a thread base along the shank.
  2. Tie in a rabbit-strip tail about one shank long for lively movement.
  3. Bind a foam strip along the top of the shank to give hidden buoyancy that rides the fly high.
  4. Palmer crosscut rabbit forward over the rear body to bulk the profile, stroking fibers back.
  5. Spin or stack deer hair over the front to build a buoyant, packed head, then pack it tight.
  6. Fold the foam forward and secure to reinforce flotation, adding optional foam ears and eyes.
  7. Whip finish, then trim the deer hair to a rounded rodent head, flat on the bottom.

Tying videos

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