Bunny Hopper

~By: Lance Dean | February 19, 2015

Iwas introduced to the Bunny Hopper one summer afternoon while fishing for Bass at a reservoir in Nevada.  The fishing was incredible that evening.  We didn’t catch anything with any size but we caught lots of fish.  Within a two hour period I personally caught over twenty fish and the people that I was fishing with were doing the same.  It was a very fun trip.  This was the evening that the Bunny Hopper was introduced to me.  When I noticed this fly I was immediately attracted to it.  Although I couldn’t tell you what attracted me to it, I knew that I had to find out what it was.  So, I asked my dad what he was using and he told me that it was called the Bunny Hopper and after we made the sixty mile journey home, he showed me how to tie it and gave me some materials to tie a couple.

Finished Bunny Hopper in the vise.

I am not sure if this is the official name of this fly or if it is one that my Dad just came up with but either way the Bunny Hopper is a Bass and Northern Pike slayer. The Bunny Hopper was actually the third fly that I learned to tie.  Having only two materials besides a hook and thread this fly is a joy to tie because of its uncomplicatedness.  The Zonker strip that the Bunny Hopper utilizes for its tail and body mixed with a subtle bit of flash gives the Bunny Hopper its attractiveness.

I took the opportunity to use this fly for Pike a couple of weeks after I tied a few of them and it did not disappoint.  I caught quite a few Northerns that evening.  One of the things that I liked about it while fishing for Northern Pike was that as it was retrieved it would swim just barely above the weeds instead of through them.  This gave me the opportunity to fish the weeds more efficiently than with conventional tackle.

Bunny Hopper without eyes.

This is a mega easy streamer to tie, you simply tie on a Zonker strip that is about two hook shanks long at the front of the fly, add a bit of flash to it and then tie in another Zonker strip that is wrapped around the hook shank and palmered towards the back of the fly.  Eyes can be added to it as well, I personally like the look of the fly without the eyes, but I can also understand the “bin appeal” factor for the Bunny Hopper to have eyes.

MATERIALS:

Bunny Hopper
HOOK:	Mustad 3407DT
THREAD:	UTC 140 - Fl. Orange
TAIL:	Zonker Strip - Chartreuse & Krystal Flash Yellow
COLLAR:	Zonker Strip - Orange
EYES:	Sticker Eyes Coated with Clear Cure Goo - Thick

VIDEO TUTORIAL:

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