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Author Topic: The Spruce Bunny & Alaskan Omlette  (Read 4557 times)

RalphH

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The Spruce Bunny & Alaskan Omlette
« on: January 15, 2021, 10:23:45 PM »




This is an older and pretty much forgotten pattern. Tied almost 40 years ago by Ken Miyata, it's a knock off of the venerable Spruce Fly streamer. I found it good for cutthroat in the Fraser above Chilliwack, Trout in the Skagit and even steelhead. Caught my first summer run in Coq' with it in 1986.


Recipe:
Hook: #6 or 8 3xl
Wing: Cream or tan rabbit strip Zonker style
Rib: gold or silver wire
Body: rear 1/4 red wool balance is peacock herl
Hackle: cream badger

Miyata had a short but interesting life. Before he was 30 he had a PHD from Harvard in Zoology and co-authored a book about the Central American rain forests. He then decided to chuck an  academic career and see how long he could live by writing to support his fly fishing habit. He published a number of articles in magazines like Fly Fisherman. In 1983 he tragically drowned while fishing the Bighorn River in Montana when he was 32.


I had intended to include this as part of a longer post on flesh flies however I wasn't able to get a good image of the pattern I wanted to feature, the Alaskan Omlette. The Spruce Bunny has aspects of a flesh fly, the rabbit strip wing in particular. Hopefully I will be able to do a follow up.
« Last Edit: April 21, 2021, 09:55:47 PM by RalphH »
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"Two things are infinite, the Universe and human stupidity... though I am not completely sure about the Universe" ...Einstein as related to F.S. Perls.

clarki

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Re: The Spruce Bunny
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2021, 02:23:36 PM »

Like. Thanks Ralph.

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RalphH

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Re: The Spruce Bunny
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2021, 05:22:05 PM »

The Alaskan Omlette:




Hook: #6 or 8 nymph or wet fly hook
Bead or weight: optional
Tail: orange red or pink egg yarn clipped flush with hook bend
body: small pearl crystal chenille
Wing: white or cream rabbit strip.
Rear Hackle: webby grizzly hackle a couple sizes large
Front Hackle: white wooly bugger hackle wound once or twice

The marabou could be applied as a wing. The original dressing calls for a curved caddis hook.

Flesh flies: imitates bits of rotting salmon flesh & skin that trout and char eat. The stuff is soft mostly white. Bits of grey mottled skin may be attached. Both these flies have these characteristics. The Spruce Bunny may be suggestive of earth worms. Both are impressionistic flies that look sort of like many food items Other useful flies in the that could be called flesh flies include white wooly buggers, marabou streamers and marabou muddlers.

« Last Edit: January 26, 2021, 09:34:37 PM by RalphH »
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"Two things are infinite, the Universe and human stupidity... though I am not completely sure about the Universe" ...Einstein as related to F.S. Perls.