10-25-2003, 08:34 PM
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]The mad tinkerer has been at it again. Since my original post about "Bunny Honey Jigs", I have been researching and experimenting with new and different applications of bunny fur in flies and jigs. I am working on a writeup on how to select and use rabbit fur in these lures. In the interim, I thought some of you might like to see some of my newest stuff...mostly in large sizes...for macks and salt water use.
Petty4Life recently sent me a few "used" jigs made from bunny fur, called "Bunny Busters" (see attached pic). These are made with "zonker strips", readily available from most fly tying suppliers. One strip is tied in for an elongated tail...while another (same or contrasting color) is wrapped "palmer style" around the shank of the hook. This produces a large profile with the fine fur...which breaths and pulsates with minimum movement when wet. These jigs have become favorites with many fishermen, fishing for many species...freshwater and salt.
I have incorporated the wrapped body concept into my latest models of bunny jigs for macks and salt water fish. I am building them on my new large sized Roadrunner heads...up to 1 1/2 ounces. These heads ride almost perfectly horizontal when attached to the line...making them ideal for vertical jigging. Most fish respond better to a horizontal lure than one hanging vertically or at an angle.
I am also altering the traditional bunny jig structure. Customarily, they are made from wide strips of bunny fur, rolled over and cemented to form a tube. Unless you use very flexible glue, they tend to lose some of the natural flexibility that makes bunny fur so desirable for lures.
Instead of fur tubes, I am cutting a strip about half an inch...with lots of fluffy fur on it. I secure it to the hook so that the tanned skin side rides down and the pulsating fur is on top. This is the design for the zonker flies, and they have been scoring big time for many years. However, the flies use a strip only about 1/4 inch wide. That is the size strips I use for wrapping the upper body on my newest creations.
So far, I have completed new models in only the traditional white and some in grey. I am ordering several different colors in zonker strips, so that I can play with some combinations...especially in the smaller sizes. I envision that a Bunny Buster type jig in crawdad colors will work almost anywhere there are bass. And, black is a universal color...either plain or with chartreuse or red contrast. Both combo up with black very well. In a nutshell, any wooly bugger colors that catch fish will work just as good, if not better, when made up into similar colored bunny jigs.
I will post some "how to" pics and the writeup on working with bunny fur when I get it done. As a general statement, let me suggest that when you cut the fur strips from a whole skin, place the skin fur side down and use a sharp craft knife or razor blade to cut the strips. But, do not apply too much pressure on the blade...driving it all the way through. That will cut some of the fur fibers on the other side. Better to cut most of the way through the skin and then pull the strip away from the main skin.
When you cut strips, cut vertically...to run parallel with the "grain" or lay of the fur. This applies both to the main tail pieces and to the thinner wrapping strips. The only difference is that if you want a thinner body section, you can cut wrapping strips across the grain...ending up with a strip with the hair slanting to one side. This gives a flattened and layered appearance when spiral wrapped on the hook.
Also, when working with bunny fur, work on a piece of cloth or carpet. This helps control the loose hairs that fly all over the place. You will need a blower or a vacuum when you finish. After a long session of cutting and wrapping, your work area will look like it had a bunny fur snowfall. And you will have hairs all over your face and up your nose. Fun Stuff.
Anyone know any good sources for whole skins in chartreuse, black and long haired white?
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]The mad tinkerer has been at it again. Since my original post about "Bunny Honey Jigs", I have been researching and experimenting with new and different applications of bunny fur in flies and jigs. I am working on a writeup on how to select and use rabbit fur in these lures. In the interim, I thought some of you might like to see some of my newest stuff...mostly in large sizes...for macks and salt water use. Petty4Life recently sent me a few "used" jigs made from bunny fur, called "Bunny Busters" (see attached pic). These are made with "zonker strips", readily available from most fly tying suppliers. One strip is tied in for an elongated tail...while another (same or contrasting color) is wrapped "palmer style" around the shank of the hook. This produces a large profile with the fine fur...which breaths and pulsates with minimum movement when wet. These jigs have become favorites with many fishermen, fishing for many species...freshwater and salt.
I have incorporated the wrapped body concept into my latest models of bunny jigs for macks and salt water fish. I am building them on my new large sized Roadrunner heads...up to 1 1/2 ounces. These heads ride almost perfectly horizontal when attached to the line...making them ideal for vertical jigging. Most fish respond better to a horizontal lure than one hanging vertically or at an angle.
I am also altering the traditional bunny jig structure. Customarily, they are made from wide strips of bunny fur, rolled over and cemented to form a tube. Unless you use very flexible glue, they tend to lose some of the natural flexibility that makes bunny fur so desirable for lures.
Instead of fur tubes, I am cutting a strip about half an inch...with lots of fluffy fur on it. I secure it to the hook so that the tanned skin side rides down and the pulsating fur is on top. This is the design for the zonker flies, and they have been scoring big time for many years. However, the flies use a strip only about 1/4 inch wide. That is the size strips I use for wrapping the upper body on my newest creations.
So far, I have completed new models in only the traditional white and some in grey. I am ordering several different colors in zonker strips, so that I can play with some combinations...especially in the smaller sizes. I envision that a Bunny Buster type jig in crawdad colors will work almost anywhere there are bass. And, black is a universal color...either plain or with chartreuse or red contrast. Both combo up with black very well. In a nutshell, any wooly bugger colors that catch fish will work just as good, if not better, when made up into similar colored bunny jigs.
I will post some "how to" pics and the writeup on working with bunny fur when I get it done. As a general statement, let me suggest that when you cut the fur strips from a whole skin, place the skin fur side down and use a sharp craft knife or razor blade to cut the strips. But, do not apply too much pressure on the blade...driving it all the way through. That will cut some of the fur fibers on the other side. Better to cut most of the way through the skin and then pull the strip away from the main skin.
When you cut strips, cut vertically...to run parallel with the "grain" or lay of the fur. This applies both to the main tail pieces and to the thinner wrapping strips. The only difference is that if you want a thinner body section, you can cut wrapping strips across the grain...ending up with a strip with the hair slanting to one side. This gives a flattened and layered appearance when spiral wrapped on the hook.
Also, when working with bunny fur, work on a piece of cloth or carpet. This helps control the loose hairs that fly all over the place. You will need a blower or a vacuum when you finish. After a long session of cutting and wrapping, your work area will look like it had a bunny fur snowfall. And you will have hairs all over your face and up your nose. Fun Stuff.
Anyone know any good sources for whole skins in chartreuse, black and long haired white?
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