Bodkin / Patterns

River Rabbit

Streamer · Trout · Smallmouth Bass · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook 4XL streamer, straight eye, 1/0-4 (shown at 2)
  • Thread Brown 6/0 (140 denier)

Materials

  • Rabbit zonker strip (tail) Natural pine squirrel strip (1 strip, ~1 shank length)
  • Cross-cut rabbit zonker strip (body) Natural pine squirrel strip (1 strip)
  • Crystal Flash Pearl flashabou (3-4 strands)
  • Fish-Skull Baitfish Head Dark gray, medium cone head (1)
  • Living Eyes / adhesive eyes Silver d eyes mm (1 pair)

How to tie it

  1. Lock the hook in the vise and lay a firm thread base over the whole shank, ending directly above the barb.
  2. For the tail, part the fur on a rabbit zonker strip and measure the leather so the hide reaches about one shank length past the bend. Bind the bare leather at the bend with 5-6 tight wraps, then a few more forward of it. Rabbit hide stretches and pulls free easily, so cinch hard.
  3. Fold 3-4 strands of Crystal Flash around the thread and bind them at the tail tie-in so they bracket both sides of the tail; snip the flash a touch shorter than the fur.
  4. Tie in the pointed tip of a cross-cut rabbit strip at the bend, then advance the thread to the 80% mark, leaving room for the head.
  5. Palmer the cross-cut strip forward in touching turns to build the body, stroking the fur rearward before each wrap so no fibers get trapped underneath. Stop at the 80% mark, tie off, and snip the excess strip.
  6. Slide the Fish-Skull Baitfish Head over the eye, shiny slot forward, and seat it back against the fur body so it butts tight. Build a small thread dam in front to jam it in place, whip finish, and wick a drop of superglue into the thread wraps.
  7. Set an adhesive eye into each socket of the head with a dab of superglue or UV resin, and cure to finish.

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