Bodkin / Patterns

Hood Rat

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

Reference Recipe

  • Hook TMC 8089 (bass hook), 2-10
  • Thread Black UTC 140

Materials

  • Ultra Chenille Brown or tan ultra chenille (tail)
  • 2mm foam Tan fly tying foam (body / belly / back)
  • Zonker rabbit strips Chinchilla or grizzly (legs / sides)
  • Zap-A-Gap (and foam-safe Zap-A-Gap)

How to tie it

  1. Put a TMC 8089 bass hook (#2-10) in the vise, start black UTC 140 thread, and tie in a brown/tan Ultra Chenille tail about 1.5 to 2 shank-lengths long at the bend; trim the excess.
  2. Cut a strip of tan 2mm foam (doubled over for float, about a hook-gap wide) and bind it in at the bend on top of the shank, keeping it even on both sides; this becomes the back.
  3. Tie in a chinchilla (or grizzly) zonker rabbit strip on each side 'backwards' - tied in by the rear end with the hide facing out and the hair pulled forward, so that when folded forward the hair lies back flush along the body as the legs/sides.
  4. Tie in short strips of tan 2mm foam on the underside at a slight downward angle (pointing back) for the belly, so they cover the underside when folded forward.
  5. Build a bulky foam underbody (extra strips of 2mm foam bound and cinched down with thread) to keep the fly floating.
  6. Fold the belly foam forward and bind it, fold the back foam over the top and bind it down behind the eye to form the body, then whip finish and secure with Zap-A-Gap.

Tying videos

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