How to Tie the Bunny Strip Dahlberg Diver
by Alex Cerveniak

This fly is probably one of my favorites to fish and tie.  You can fish it on the surface or use it with a sink tip, or full sinking line and fish it sub-surface.  Tie it big, or tie it small.  If you don’t have rabbit strips, use about 6 saddle hackles for the tail.  Add rubber legs, synthetic hair, gills, etc.  The possibilities with this fly are endless!  Whether you fish for trout, or warm-water species, or even if you are a saltwater guy, everyone should have a few in their fly box. 

Materials

Hook- Bass Bug Hook.

Thread- Gudebrod G-Thread, or any 3/0 or larger size thread.

Tail- Zonker Strip (Rabbit Strip), 6 or so strands of flash material.

Collar- Marabou/ Deer Hair.

Head- Spun Deer Hair, trimmed to shape.

Eyes (Optional)- Doll eyes, stick on eyes, super glued to head.

Weed Guard (Optional, but recommended whenever you use zonker/rabbit strips to prevent fouling)- 30# mono.

Step 1

Form a thread base from the point on the shank above the hook point, to the bend.

Step 2

Take a 4” piece of 30# mono, and gently squeeze about ½” of the end.  This will give the thread something to grab when you tie it onto the shank, and prevent it from being pulled out.

Another way to prevent the weed guard from being pulled off is by taking a lighter and holding the flame near the tip of the mono.  As the tip heats up and begins to melt, it will form a bead.  When the bead is large enough, somewhere around twice the diameter of the mono, remove the flame and let the bead cool before tying it onto the hook.  Be careful not to let the bead catch on fire.  I prefer to use the pliers; for me it is much faster, and is nearly impossible to pull from the hook once tied in.

If you look right behind where the jaws of your vise are grasping the hook, you will notice a small gap between them.  Thread the excess mono through it.  It will sit there until we are finished forming the head of the fly, where we will tie the other end in near the eye of the hook.

After you have completed tying the weed guard in, coat your thread wraps with tying cement.

Step 3

On this fly I am using a heavy duty tinsel (Wal-Mart in their Christmas section.)  Any flash material will work.  I was stoked when I found this particular material as it is really tough, and should hold up through multiple fish. Take about 6 or so strands and cut them to about 4”-5” long.  Tie them in right on top of where you just tied in your weed guard.  If you want, you can add another coat of cement now.  I usually wait until Step 4 is complete before adding another coat of cement.

Step 4

I will be using this fly for Northern Pike.  Therefore, I am using magnum Zonker Strips instead of standard Zonker Strips.  The difference is the magnum-sized strips are ¼” wide instead of the standard 3 mm.  Tie the zonker strip in so that the hair is flowing towards the rear of the fly, right on top of where you just tied in your flash material.  Coat the thread wraps with head cement.

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