Bunny Leech
The Bunny Leech uses a full rabbit strip that pulsates with extraordinary life-like motion even at very slow retrieve speeds. Leeches are high-protein food for large trout and are available year-round. Fish this pattern with a slow, steady hand-over-hand retrieve in stillwaters or let it drift and swing in slow-moving pools. Black and olive are the most productive colors. Superb for lake-dwelling brown and rainbow trout.
- Type
- streamer (Streamer)
- Hook sizes
- #2–6
- Target species
- trout, bass, steelhead
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Best seasons
- spring, summer, fall, winter
Materials
- hook: 3X or 4X long streamer hook #2–6
- thread: Black or olive 6/0
- bead: Black tungsten cone or dumbbell eyes
- tail: Rabbit strip, cut to length
- body: Rabbit strip wound forward to head (or chenille with strip overwing)
- flash: Black or olive Flashabou (optional)
Tying steps
- Mount a size 2–6 3XL or 4XL hook; slide on a black tungsten cone or dumbbell eyes.
- Start black or olive thread behind the head and wrap a smooth base.
- Cut a rabbit strip to the length of the hook; tie it in at the bend skin-side down.
- Wind the rabbit strip forward, wrapping skin to shank, stopping at the cone or eye.
- Optionally add a few strands of black or olive Flashabou alongside the rabbit strip.
- Build a neat head against the cone; whip finish and cement.
- Apply a generous coat of UV resin over the thread head and dumbbell eyes to lock all components firmly.
- Wet the fly before fishing — the rabbit strip absorbs water and produces the maximum undulating action in the current.
- Wet the fly and pull the rabbit strip gently from the front to confirm the hide strip is firmly secured and does not separate from the hook shank.