Fly Tying: Fish-Skull Skulpin Bunny

Sculpin patterns are a go-to when it comes to trout. Dead drift or a slow strip imitating a sculpin swim, sculpin style patterns are effective in rivers worldwide. Normally fished close to the bottom, the Fish-Skull Skulpin Bunny goes down and gets down fast to where the fish are, thanks to the Fish-Skull Sculpin Helmet. Originally designed by Martin Dawden of Flymen Fishing Company, it sets itself apart from other sculpin patterns because of its unique head design. The weight and design of the helmet give the fly a great up/down jigging motion. It’s such a popular and effective fly pattern, they make kits for them. Contact your local fly shop for availability. Please give it a tie!

Original Design: Martin Dawden, Flymen Fishing Co.

Tied By Brian Davenport, Mossy’s Fly Shop in Anchorage, Alaska

Photos By Mike Brown, Mossy’s Fly Shop in Anchorage, Alaska

Material List:

Hook: Daiichi 2220 Sz 4
Tail: Olive Variant Zonker Rabbit
Body: Olive Variant Crosscut Rabbit
Head: Fish Skull Sculpin Helmet Small
Thread: Veevus 140

Step 1. Using your zonker strip, give yourself about a 2” tail and pierce the rabbit over the hook point. Be sure to poke through the center of the hide. Place your hook in the vice hook point up, holding the hook closer to the point.

Step 2. Tie the zonker strip down, roughly about at the hook point. Be sure to tie it down and then make a few wraps under it directly to the shank and then back over the hide again. This will lock the strip in and keep it from rotating. Fold the rest of the strip back (do not cut it).

Step 3. Attach your crosscut strip tight to the tail.

Step 4. Wrap your crosscut forward, be sure to use touching wraps, and stop 2-3 hook eye widths from the hook eye. Make a couple of overlapping wraps to build the pec fins. Whip finish.

Step 5. Pull your zonker strip over the top, and fold the crosscut hair down to the sides, pulling the zonker tight. Tie down and remove extra.

Step 6. Apply a little super glue to the thread wraps. Slide the helmet on from the front. Reattach your thread and build a small head in front of the helmet to help secure it in place. Whip finish and glue.