Rabbit Fur Sea Habit - Wrapping the Rabbit Strip?

[OceanSunfish]

Last Fall, Dave Sellers left me a message on a thread I started inquirying about upsidedown deceivers, etc. Dave was kind enough to say that he had some 'upsidedown' deceiver type patterns that would "knock my socks off".

Well, he was right.

I've been toying around with my own deceiver creations over the past 10 years, but I really like what he's done by using rabbit and/or craft fur to create bulk that I would do by using bucktail. We all know that finding the 'right' bucktail was problematic and my process was also very time consuming.

Anyway, I know some of the 'regulars' on this BB have done tied up a cache of the Rabbit Sea Habit of late. So, I ask you all how you go about wrapping the rabbit fur up the hook.

1) Magnum strips (which only come straight cut).
2) Regular cross cut strips?
3) 1 or more strips per sea habit? Like using Marabou for Popsicles?

Do you wrap forward pushing the fur back and literally lay a strip on top of the previous wrap, to get as much bulk as possible? Seems like you would end up with a 'cotton ball'.

My experiences with rabbit fur are good size leech patterns where it's a simple wrap around the hook shank ala woolly bugger chennile stuff. If that's all this exercise is, then again, I over complicated something so simple. :P

Thanks for the information. :)

[Darian]

Hmmmm,.... Interesting question. I've tied many Sea Habits but never using a rabbit body.... :? :? I have to admit to experimenting with wrapping rabbit up the shank to see what it might look like and decided that it crowds the hook if you're using a standard Gammie, model SC 15 hook. Since wing materials in Sea Habits are, generally tied near the front of the shank and stacked to create a deep/wide profile, wrapping something with as wide a base as a rabbit strip would appear to be problematical. :? :? The length of the hook shank is the problem. Perhaps a longer shank hook :?: :?: Of course, that wouldn't be a true Sea Habit (if that bothers you :?: ) Dave mentioned to in a post that he used rabbit as it was soft and didn't obstruct added keel rattles/weight.

Take a look at a pattern tied by Steve Cali called the Gigafly at:

www.califlies.com

I think the way this pattern is "hackled", using bucktail, will suggest an answer to your question. 8)

Post a photo when you've done one. I'm interested in where you're going with this. 8) 8) 8)

[OceanSunfish]

Some versions of the "Bonito Bunny", which is also a rabbit strip palmered body, call for the trimming of the fur that ride 'upward' to clear the gape.

My first attempt had me moving the fur below the hook to clear the gape prior to top dressing with bucktail.

I will honestly try to post a pic if/when I have a satisfactory finished product. :D

My first attempt produced a pretty good resemblance to the rarely seen male Bird-of-Paradise (hailing from Borneo I believe) during mating. :?

[Hairstacker]

I'm not sure about the fly you're trying to tie but I've been tying flies like this based on flies that Dave Sellers was kind enough to us all to post on Blanton's board. These flies I tie use a rabbit strip for the body to give it bulk:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/11-11-07Delta4.jpg

After I've tied in the tail (in this case paired feathers), I just take a regular crosscut bunny strip and tie it in at the hook bend/tail tie-in point. I then wrap it forward while brushing the fur back. I place each turn of the strip right next to the previous one without overlapping. Fish have fallen in love with and lusted after that body. :lol:

[Darian]

Another pattern tied by Steve Cali is the Rasta. It's intended use is in Baja for Roosterzzzzzz..... :D :D the pattern calls for a fur wrapped at the body or head of the hook. It should, also, indicate how someone solved your need. 8)

Of course, none of these are Sea Habits which is what you've asked about. I've never seen or heard of a rabbit Sea Habit. They, generally, don't have a body; just a wing. I'm wondering if the photo of Mike's (hairstacker) fly isn't the one you're after. :?: :?

[OceanSunfish]

Sorry for confusing everyone.

To be honest, I have no idea what a "sea habit" pattern even looks like. :D

I just assumed what I was trying to tie was a sea-habit type pattern.

What I'm really tying is an upside down deceiver (jig hook) but wrap rabbit fur or craft fur around the hook for the body. Essentially, what "hairstacker" provided in his photo. (Nice job, BTW)

My problem is that I have no time to opportunistically be on the 'water' to cast and retrieve my own creations or other's creations, like the pattern that "hairstacker" has in his photo. Therefore, I don't know if I have too little or too much fur to create the body and movement in the water.

Based on "hairstacker's" insight, I'm being too complicated and it's just a simple wrap of the fur strip forward. Of course, the better the materials the better the outcome, which is always the case in tying anything.

Thanks.

p/s I'll either 'fish' my "bird of paradise" or I'll make it into a xmas ornament. :D

[Chris Laskodi]

The fly Hairstacker posted was the one that Dave had written the tutorial on and I think it is the one you're after. The fly works but it is a certain five letter word to cast. If you use rabbit strips it becomes even more difficult to cast. When I use that fly, it is truely chuck and duck.

The fly definitely works, have caught some stripers on it, but it becomes very tiresome to cast (at least for me) and I don't think the fly gives that much extra success.

I would use craft fur as it absorbs less water and just cut a strip and palmer it. Just lay it down like you would like a wooly bugger like you mentioned.

As Darian said, a true sea habit only has the materials tied in near the head. Not sure what this is called. I refer to it as Seller's fly.

[Hairstacker]

Actually, to be accurate, I believe the above fly is slightly different than the one Dave posted -- I believe he only keel-weights his flies, while the one above also has a "Real Eyes" dumbbell on the front. I also recall he uses mylar tubing for the head covered with epoxy and with stick-on eyes, whereas I just wrapped a standard Clouser-type head on the above fly. Small differences to be sure and I only mention them because they may be important to Dave's concept of how his fly should be tied.

Given it's a 5" - 5 1/2" fly, it is a little more challenging to toss on my 7 wt. rod than, say, a standard 4" Clouser. Nevertheless, I've had a lot of fun with it and I particularly like its apparent appeal to larger LMBs when the water's too cold for topwater action. Here's a report I posted last December using a pretty similar fly:

http://www.kiene.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?t=7869

It will be my first choice to toss in the Delta this coming November after the topwater season ends.

[David Lee]

I think I can add to the confusion .....

Dan Blanton coinned the name 'Sea Habit' when he mentioned Dave's fly - I am pretty sure Dave called it a jig-hook , upside down Deceiver . I haven't tyed it w/ rabbit yet .... I use 1/4 inch wide strips of craft fur (heard it sinks better ....) . I would think the rabbit version would lend itself to smaller (1/0 and under ) flies . Using the craft fur .... my average one is over 6 inches long . I use EC 413 hooks , size 3/0 and 4/0 - and weight the fly w/ 1/8 ounce (!!!!!) dumbbells under the bend .

They ain't much fun to cast .

I have noticed .......... when I use that specific fly , it almost always gets bigger fish . Truth be told , I don't like casting it THAT much .

David

[Darian]

Had some time on my hands and decided to play with the rabbit idea for a Black Bass/Striper fly combining two differing rear weighting schemes and adding a removable spinner blade:

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o31/jockscot/DSCN0200.jpg

The top fly shows the body using a cross-cut Rabbit strip with a rattle built into the weight. The bottom fly shows the body using a zonker strip with weighting wire wrapped around the spinner wire. 8) 8)

The top fly is heavy enough to be cast on a spinning outfit using light line. Both of these patterns could be converted to a spinner bait by removing the rear blade and connecting a wire and blade at the front the hook.... 8) 8) This allows for an easy conversion to the "dark side." :D :D