|
Cope's
Bunkabou
by
Scott Copeland
|
Materials
- Thread:
Flat waxed nylon (white)
- Hook:
3/0 Mustad or similar
- Body
Coating : GE clear Silicone II sealant
- Tail:
White Maribou
- Wing:
Peacock herl over Tan or Olive maribou
- Flash:
Saltwater Flashibou
- Gills:
Red pen
- Eyes:
4mm Witchcraft Stick-ons
|
This past fall, I was witness to school's of
baby bunker the likes of which I've never seen. I stood on a jetty
and watched as hundreds of frantic "peanuts" lept over my boot tops
to escape the jaws of the 6- to 8-pound bluefish that were pushing
them against the rocks. Still others suffocated by the handful, running
out of air in the tightly packed school.
Inspired by Eric Peterson's silicone baby bunker
pattern, I tied this simple and durable bunker pattern. It has a wonderful
liveliness in the water and can truly take a beating. Tie a bunch
over the winter and be ready for next season.
|
|
Steps
|
|
1. Wrap first one-quarter inch of
the hook shank with thread and tie in two white maribou plumes, "praying
hands" style.
2. Tie in a colored maribou plume of your choice
"flat-wing style" followed by six strands of peacock herl. I prefer tan/olive
marabou.
3. Tie in two strands of Saltwater Flashabou along
both sides of the pattern to immitate the lateral line.
4. Add the stick-on eyes and draw the gills in
with a red marker pen.
5. Working with silicone can be a little tricky.
My trick for coating the head with silicone is to pull back all of the
materials to the desired profile then clamp then from behind the hook
bend with hemostats. Apply a gob of silicone to both sides of the head,
then smooth and polish the silicone toward the rear with a saliva-moistened
finger.
6. Allow the silicone to dry overnight and add
a spot to both sides of the pattern with a black permanent marker.
Hint: Try to fish this pattern below or just past
the edge of thick schools of bait and the blues or bass will single it
out almost every time.
Scott Copeland is a physical
therapist and fly rodder from Bridgeport, Connecticut. "Every chance that
I get from April through November is spent fly fishing the Sound," he
says, "particularly the area between Fairfield and Norwalk. I have been
a life-long saltwater angler, but have been fly fishing the salt for only
four years. Part of the appeal of fly fishing for me is to tie limitless
patterns and experiment with different designs of my own creation."
Scott can be reached via e-mail to
skcope@mindspring.com/.
|
|
