Sloane Fur Fly – tying the rabbit strip in

[Ados]

Hi, I’m looking to tie some  Sloane Fur flies. I have my trusty Fur and Feather book (Peter Leuver), and the illustration of the tying of the rabbit involves some sort of folding the strip in on itself and then tying in.

I don’t have any cross-cut rabbit strips  – just regular 4 mm wide zonkers – natural, black and olive colours.

I understand that we aren’t trying to tie in a strip, stream style, on top of the hook shank, but how do I get that nice full look and broad profile?

 

any help appreciated

Thank you

Ado

[oldpiscator]

You really need to get the cross cut strips.

[DrGraham]

This reply has been marked as private.

[DrGraham]

Hi oldpiscator, cutting strips from a pelt is best, using the method described by Tony Sloane, but cross cut is the next best alternative. I have used zonker strips. They’re not ideal, but it is possible by using longer strips to get the right fur density.

[oldpiscator]

I assumed Ado wouldn’t have any bunny pelts available. If he has pelts available then get out the old cutthroat razor and start slicing.

[MJL]

The original instructions are for skin that was dried. Zonker strips are tanned and just won’t fold the same way.   I would look at getting the fur round the hook without worrying about the folding.

[Peter Elks]

May i suggest if you dont have the strips then simply cut fur and put it in a dubbing loop.

The more experience you have with dubbing loops using hair/furs the easier this will be  .

Ensure the engagement in the loop is solid and the outer edges of the fur , parallel the dubbing loop   thread medium.

You can then wind this on like hackle in  very very close concentic  wraps and the result is outstanding .

 

Good luck

[DrGraham]

Re: Sloane’s Rabbit Fur Fly.  I’ve just been playing with various rabbit strips; one cut from the pelt using Tony Sloane’s method, a piece of crosscut strip, and a strip of zonker.  See attached photos.  Each strip was 4mm wide.  The pelt had nice dense fur so I cut it a little over 15mm.  The crosscut strip had fur missing which is typical of commercially prepared rabbit strips, so I cut a longer strip.  The fur on the zonker strip was much sparser so I cut that about 30mm long.  The results show, by taking into account the density of fur, you can get the same result with the right amount of fur around the hook. With practise you get a sense for the length of strip required (I’ve been tying this fly for 40 years), so it is possible to produce a decent fur fly with zonker or crosscut strips.  I still prefer to cut my own strips off a rabbit pelt.

[oldpiscator]

Looks good and all will take fish.

[DrGraham]

Thanks oldpiscator. :-)

[flylife]

Don’t think the fish will be discussing the difference. ‘Oh no that’s Zonker, I’m not going to eat it! 🤨. Nice work Graham.

[DrGraham]

Thanks Flylife.  The ol’ Fur Fly is the very epitome of the simple functional fly.  It’s been one of my favourites since the day you gave me one, sometime in the last millennium, and told me how to use it on the Long Shore at Bronte.  Cheers, Gra.

[Sarvinster]

Late to the party here but the best rabbit strips for the Fur Fly especially with the Peter Leuver “Fur and Feather” method is untanned rabbit skin/pelt. It folds easily as per the instructions.

Source a shooter and ask for the next rabbit they kill if they can skin it for you. Pegged out (flat)  or pulled over a stretched  coat hanger like a glove, as we did as kids, and air dried in the shade is the easy way to have life time supply of Fur fly material.

[Author]

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