Double Bunny
The Double Bunny is a deadly fly for any species that eats smaller fish; it can be tied in an unlimited number of colors to match the forage and it is really quite simple to tie. The Double Bunny was developed by Scott Sanchez and garnered immediate attention and popularity; over the years it has been accepted as being one of the best flies for taking trophy fish and has won the 1992, 1993, and 1994 Jackson Hole One-Fly Competition.

The numerous color combinations you can tie and fish are limited only by the colors of rabbit you can find. Typical of bairfish patterns, the darker color is tied on top of the fly. The following are effective variations for trout.

1. Chinchilla over white - baby whitefish.

2. Olive over gray - baby rainbow trout and sculpin (One-Fly Winner.)

3. Natural brown over ginger - baby brown trout.

4. Natural brown over yellow - Platte River Special.

5. Black over fluorescent yellow - for dirty water and low light.

6. Black over white - Integration Bunny.

7. Dark gray over shinchilla - small trout and sculpins.

8. Black over ginger - for low water, bright light.

Freshwater Double Bunny

Pattern Recipe & Tying Instructions
Hook: Dai-Riki 700, size 2.
Thread: White Gudebrod G.
Weight: .035 lead wire on the front half of the hook shank.
Body: White Magnum Rabbit Strip for the belly; chinchilla Magnum Rabbit Strip for the back.
Sides: Pearl Krystal Flash and silver Holographic Flashabou.
Eyes: 6 mm molded 3D eyes glued on with Goop.
Adhesive: Val-A-Tearmender.

Tying Steps: Freshwater Double Bunny

1. Wrap .035 lead on the front half of the hook.2. Prepare rabbit strips by cutting the tip of each to a point.

3. With scissor points, a knife, or a leather punch, pierce a hole in the belly strip one and a half shank lengths from the tip. This will allow you to pre-weight hooks. You can also impale the belly strip with the hook.

4. Push the rabbit strip over the eye of the hook. Start your tying thread to secure the lead. Lash some loose rabbit fur to the lead to help the glue bond and cover the lead. (You can use Mylar dubbing such as Lite Brite as well.)

5. Tie the bottom rabbit strip bu the tip just behind the eye. Hold the fur out of the way with your left hand to prevent trapping it.

6. Secure the top rabbit strip by the tip. Hold the fur out of the way with your left hand to prevent trapping it.

7. Holding the back end of the top rabbit strip away from you, use a toothpick to apply a light amount of contact cement on the hide only - if you put too much on the toothpick, you risk getting it on the hair.

8. Coat the hide side of the belly strip and cover the lead with contact cement.

9. Hold the tail ends of the rabit strips in your left hand and pull them straight back. With your right hand, pinch the strips together and down into the lead.

10. Cut the body to length. Push your scissor tips through the hair to prevent cutting off the fur.

11. Rotate the fly so that the top faces you. Cautiously taper the tail so that it is lighter and more flexible when wet. Slide your scissors and cut just a little at a time.

12. Take a few strand of Krystal Flash and Holographic Flashabou that are double the body length and tie them in at their midpoint just behind the hook eye. Next, pull the forward-facing material to the far side of hook and tie it in place. Cover the ends with thread, whip-finish, and cement.

13. Attach the eyes. Stroke the rabbit hair back. With a toothpick, coat the area just behind the thread head with Goop.

14. Place an eye on the glue. Repeat this on the other side. Make sure you use enough glue to hold the eyes.

There are a number of good choices for Double Bunny eyes and heads. Stick-on eye can be used in place of the 3D models, but you still need to make a glue base. I epoxy over the head and eyes for more durability, and to add weight to the front of the fly. EZ Sparkle Body or acrylic T-shirt paint can also be used to build up a head and reinforce it. Some commercial versions use dumbbell eyes. Orvis sells a Conehead Double Bunny. When using cone heads, place the cone on first and then tie the fly. Use some lead behind the cone and super-glue it to keep the body from sliding back as you fish the fly.

Saltwater Double Bunny

The Saltwater Double Bunny is a variation on the double bunny pattern used in freshwater. The main difference is the colours used and the addition of krystal flash to form a lateral line, and of course stainless steel hooks. 

Pattern Recipe & Tying Instructions
Hook: Mustad 34007 size to suit targeted fish. Size 2 in the above
Thread: Mono
Overwing: Olive Rabbit Zonker Strip
Underwing: White Rabbit Zonker Strip
Flash: Pearl UV Krystal Flash
Eyes: 3D Stick on
Head: Thread covered with 5 min Epoxy

Tying Steps: Saltwater Double Bunny

  1. Take a length of white zonker strip and measure it from just behind the hook eye to about half the hook shank length past the bend of the hook.
  2. Mark where the zonker strip meets the hook bend. Push the hook through the zonker strip at this point.
  3. Leave the zonker loose on the hook and place the hook in the vise.
  4. Start your thread behind the eye of the hook and wrap back a few millimetres.
  5. Tie in the olive zonker strip. Make sure it is the same length as the white.
  6. Pull the white zonker strip up now and tie in behind the hook eye. The two zonker strips should align now.
  7. Run a bead of glue (I use tarzans grip or multi grip) between the two strip to hold them together.
  8. Tie in some krystal flash on either side of the zonker strips
  9. Form a head with the thread now and whip finish
  10. Stick 3d eyes o either side.
  11. Cover the head area and the eyes with 5 minute epoxy and you are done.