This Tying Tuesday opens with the Shaggy Bunny from Spawn Fly Fish, a big, adaptable streamer for bull trout, bass, and pike. Adjust the color and size to match whatever trophy fish swims your home water. Up next is Pass’s Dirty Bird, tied by Captain Michael Passalacqua of Bird Dog Fly Fishing for Ole Florida Fly Shop. This modern splay-tail tarpon fly is his go-to in the shallows of Biscayne Bay and Florida Bay. We move to Dave Brandt’s Brooks Gordon Dry Fly, tied by Robert Smith on a barbless Mustad dry-fly hook as his own take on Brandt’s classic dry. Lastly, the WD-40 Variant from Loon Outdoors, a small midge that blends Mark Engler’s original WD-40 with a few tricks borrowed from the Brassie, a dependable choice for trout picking at emergers.
Shaggy Bunny
Materials List
Hook: Ahrex SA254 size 2
Bead: Spawn Super Bead White or Nickel or Spawn Football Bead Silver 7.5mm
Shanks: Spawn Articulated Shanks in 12mm, 13mm and 14mm
Optional Connection: Spawn Articulated Shank 19mm
Thread: 6/0 White or 140D Weighted
Wire: Lead Free .025″
Tail: Spawn UV Flash Polliwog Tail — White
Body: Spawn Mega Dub — White/Silver, Shaggy Dub White, Crosscut Rabbit White and EP Sparkle Brush Pearl Magic
Legs: Crazy Legs — White with Silver Flake
Cement: Loon Hard Head Clear
Pass’s Dirty Bird
Materials List
Hook: Gamakatsu SL12S Short
Thread: Danville 210 Flat Waxed Nylon — Black
Tail: Calf tail — two-tone, ~25 strands each
Flash: Black Crystal Flash, 2 strands
Splay tail: Hen saddle, 6 feathers (3 per side)
Body / Collar: MFC Senyo’s Dirty Bird Dubbing
Head / Front collar: EP Foxy Brush
Dave Brandt’s Brooks Gordon
Materials List
Hook: Mustad 94842 dry-fly hook, size 12
Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0 — Camel
Wing: Wood duck flank, upright and divided
Tail: Light dun hackle barbs (stiff, long)
Body: Stripped dun hackle stem (for light-to-medium segmented shading)
Hackle: Two hackles, light dun and grizzly — light dun wrapped first, grizzly wrapped last
Finish: Body varnish, plus head cement to finish
WD-40 Variant
Materials List
Hook: TMC 3769 Nymph Hook — 18
Hook (Alt): TMC 3769 — 16–20
Bead: Glass Bead
Bead (Alt): Silver metal bead
Thread: Olive Dun 6/0
Thread (Alt): Olive Dun 8/0
Body: UTC Ultra Wire — Brassie / Olive
Tail: Lemon Wood Duck flank fibers
Wing Case: Lemon Wood Duck
Dubbing: Super Fine Dry Fly Dubbing — Adams Gray
