Pine squirrel zonker Natural pine squirrel strip (tail (hide stripped) and body)
Thin foam Brown thin foam (2 mm (back))
Round rubber legs Brown silly legs nymph size (medium)
Krystal Flash Pearl flashabou (whiskers)
Zap-A-Gap (brush-on)
How to tie it
Crimp a bit of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon and thread it over the eye of a #4 black Gamakatsu Octopus hook; set this trailer-hook loop aside.
Put the TMC 7999/7989 in the vise, start black 6/0 thread and close the eye.
For the tail, strip the fur off a short piece of pine squirrel zonker to expose the bare hide, tie the bare strip in on top of the shank so it hangs centered off the back, and bind the rest down.
Lay the trailer mono on the shank (hook riding point up), leaving enough mono that you can still slip the trailer hook off; tie it with a couple of wraps and check that you can lift the hook free, then wrap the mono most of the way forward, doubling it back over itself so it cannot pull out, and trim the excess, binding down to the end.
Tie a long natural pine-squirrel zonker strip in at the back, advance the thread about two-thirds forward, then palmer the zonker strip forward in even touching wraps to that point; capture it, take a couple of wraps back to lay it rearward, and trim any caught shag.
Cut a teardrop of brown 2 mm foam (about an inch and a half to two inches for the mini, fat at the back and tapering forward); lay it on top, make a soft wrap then tighten, pull the foam forward and lash the base, building it up so the foam body sits right on top of the hook.
Tie a pair of brown medium round rubber legs on each side, slightly toward the underside so they dangle, secure them, and advance the thread.
Draw the legs and foam back, take the remaining pine squirrel forward to the eye as the head without catching the legs or foam, tie it off and trim the excess strip, then clean up the head.
Split the squirrel at the top and fold the foam back over to form the head; tie it down with a loose-then-tight wrap, add pearl Krystal Flash whiskers at the nose, whip finish, coat the thread with brush-on Zap-A-Gap, and trim the tail to length.