Hooks: Gamakatsu SC15 size 3/0 and Tiemco 911S size 2/0

Thread: Danville flat waxed nylon

Tentacles: Strung Chinese saddle hackles (5"-7", white) and Whiting Farms bugger pack (white)

Body/head: Flesh colored rabbit strips cut from hide or large zonker strips 1/4"-5/16" wide

Eyes: 3/8" holographic stick on eyes and cream-colored furry foam

Flash: Blue ice and electric pink Angel Hair

Weight (optional): .35 lead wire or dazl eyes (7/32" or whatever size you want)

Wire for tandem hook set-up: American Fishing Wire Surflon Micro Supreme 40 lb

Adhesives: Softex and Zap-A-Gap

Place SC15 in vise. Tie in about 4 or 5 Chinese saddle hackles at the rear of hook shank so they extend about 2" past the bend.

Tie down rabbit strip and wrap tightly around shank 2 times. Cut off rabbit strip and set aside for later.

Tie in about 8 to 10 bugger hackles so they're evenly distributed around the hook. They should extend the same length as the Chinese saddle hackles.

Add a little blue ice and electric pink Angel Hair.

Tie down rabbit strip and make about 3 wraps forward. Cut off and set aside.

Tie in "eye assemblies" (one on each side). Form a smooth head, but do not whip finish or cut off thread yet.

"Eye assemblies" are made by gluing holographic eyes to furry foam pieces with Softex.

Rotate hook upside down (it helps to have a rotary vise) or flip the hook in the vise so that the point points up.

Trim the tail end of the remaining rabbit strip into a v shape so the hair tapers off nicely. Separate the hair about 1/4" to 3/8" from the tail end, and tie down in front of the eyes on top (point side of upside down hook). Make about 5 or 6 tight wraps with the thread, one on top of the other, to secure the rabbit strip.

Pull front end of rabbit strip back, and wind thread in front of rabbit strip and whip finish. Do not cut off rabbit strip. It continues to the forward portion of the fly. Remove rear portion of fly from vise.

Place 911S in vise. If desired, add weight to hook by wrapping lead wire around shank or by tying on a dumbbell eye on bottom of the hook shank. I prefer to use the brass dumbbell eyes instead of lead.

Cut off a 6" piece of Surflon wire. Loop wire through hook eye of rear portion of fly and tie down wire on forward hook. Make sure you feed wire ends through eye of forward hook and double back. Wrap with plenty of thread and apply Zap-A-Gap. The point of the rear hook should point up. The eye of the rear hook should be as close to the rear portion of the forward hook shank as possible.

Pull rabbit strip from rear portion of fly forward and separate hair at tie in point at rear of forward hook shank. Tie down rabbit strip securely with 5 to 6 tight wraps of thread, one on top of the other.

Wind rabbit strip forward without any overlap but with each successive wrap butting up against the previous wrap. Be sure to keep tension on the strip by pulling as you wrap.

When you are about 1/2" to 3/4" from the tie off point, start overlapping the previous wrap of rabbit strip by about half of the width of the strip to form a denser, fuller "head".

Tie off rabbit strip, form a clean head, and whip finish.

Optional step: If you have the time, you might want to soak the furry foam with softex to add strength. Be sure to keep the rabbit hair away from the furry foam until it's tack free. This process helps keep the "eye assemblies" from tearing off after being chewed on by hungry, toothy predators........ which will happen.:^)

2003-2005 copyright gary bulla