Scott Sanchez created this pattern, and it is an extremely effective baitfish imitation when tied with natural colors, and an equally effective attractor pattern using "hot" colors. In my opinion, Scott is one of the most creative tiers I have witnessed and this pattern is no exception.

Scott ties these thing BIG and his patterns use only zonker strips and eyes, and perhaps a bit of flash.

I have adjusted the tying technique to utilize smaller zonker strips, for smaller patterns so that I can better imitate the small Delaware River alewives I originally utilized this pattern for. Once you tie a few of these you will see how easily they can be modified to suit your needs.

MATERIALS

Hook: Mustad 80400 or equivalent SE hook

Weight: Lead wire

Thread: to match body

Body: fine braid

Dorsal and Ventral Wing: Zonker Strip (Pine Squirrel Shown)

Lateral Accent: Cascade Crest Krystal Mirror Flash

Eyes: Prismatic Stick-on

Head: Loon's Soft Head, Hard Head, or UV KNot Sense

Debarb your hook and place it in your vise. Notice that I prefer to use SE hooks for my streamers, but the choice is yours. A good alternative to this now discontinued hook is Mustad's Classic #9674.

Lay down a base of lead wire on the middle 3/4 of the hook.

Start your thread amidst the wire.

Secure the wire, fill in the gaps, and taper the ends.

Select some fine braid to complement the color scheme of your fly.

Secure it at the front...

...and bind it to the rear.

Select a zonker strip for your dorsal color. Typically you want this to be the darker of the two colors if using two colors.

Move the thread to the rear of the braid.

Set the length of the tail potion of the fly, then separate the fur to expose the hide at that point.

Secure the hide to the hook, just behind the braid, with 3 tight wraps.

Pull back the hide and the braid and advance the thread all the way forward.

Wrap the braid forward tightly.

Make the final pass behind the hook, in front of the thread.

Pull it underneath the hook and angled to the rear.

Make two wraps of thread to lock it in place.

Trim the excess.

Pull the zonker strip forward rather tightly.

Pinch it in place...

...and lock it in place with thread. Do not worry about trying to split the fur at this point.

Trim the excess behind the eye.

Take some security wraps.

Invert the vise or hook.

Select another zonker strip, using the lighter color if choosing to use two colors.

Roughly measure to equal the doral tail length.

Hold the strip perpendicular to the hook shank and poke it over the hook point. If you retained the barb: once the point is through, turn the strip 90-degrees and finish the job.

Remove the hook from the vise and slide the hide down to meet the dorsal strip.

Replace the hook in the vise.

Pull the strip forward as with the dorsal side.

Lock it down with thread.

Clip the excess.

Turn the hook/vise back to its normal position.

Start to build a nice taper to the head.

Select a single long strand of flash material.

Fold it over the thread.

Slide the doubled material up to the head of the fly.

Hold the two ends in the position you want them and bind them down with 2 wraps of thread. This will lock the material in place so that it does not pull out.

Repeat on the back side.

Pull all four ends back and measure to be just shy of the tail.

And clip them.

Build a neat head, whip finish and clip the thread.

Select your favorite stick-on eyes. These are 3/16" in diameter--I advise you use the largest eyes you can stick on the hook. Minnow eyes are prominent and act as a target.

With a fine bodkin, lift off an eye.

Place it on the head, just behind the eye. The eyes will double as the framework for the finished head.

Repeat with the other side, being sure that the eyes mirror each other. Press them to the thread head firmly.

Select a form of thick adhesive. I suggest Loon's products: Soft Head, Hard Head, or UV KNot Sense as they are odor free and non toxic.

Give the eyes a healthy dose of adhesive but applying to each eye and the top and bottom gaps between the eyes. Allow the adhesive to flow into the gaps so form a solid, rounded head.

Note that I have angled my vise jaws to point the head of the fly up so that the adhesive runs away from the eye.

If you desire, apply a thin coat of flexible adhesive to the tail strips and stick the together. DO NOT use super glue or Zap-A-Gap or the result will be a rigid tail.

A completed Double Bunny using Pine Squirrel Zonker Strips.