Tying the Waving Wabbit carp fly

There's a unique thrill to stalking carp in the shallows. When you're sight casting in just a foot or two of water, presentation is everything. Spook a fish with a heavy splash, and your chance is gone. The flies used for this kind of fishing need to land like a softly and settle gently on the bottom, with the hook point riding up to avoid snags. Crucially, they also need enticing movement to grab a carp's attention. 

For me, this means tying on something like a Carp Mop, a Scarpion or the Twin Tail Carp Worm, or the Waving Wabbit. The Waving Wabbit features a lively rabbit zonker tail, a buggy dubbed body, bead chain eyes for weight, and a pulsing hen hackle collar. What sets this pattern apart is the added ‘lift kit’, a simple addition that helps ensure the fly flips over correctly for that critical hook-point-up orientation in shallow water. While I've tied this one in rust and brown, don't be afraid to experiment with colours – olives, cream, and black can all be incredibly effective. Hopefully, you'll find the following tying instructions easy to follow. 

If you have any questions as you go, please drop them in the comments. 

Materials

The  material list below includes links to the products I use from BWCflies, my local shop. 

Hook: Tiemco TMC 2457 #6 or Ahrex XO774 #6

Eyes: 3.2mm bead chain 

Thread: Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread 6/0  

Tail: Hareline Rabbit Zonker Strips Magnum cut 

Body: Enrico Puglisi Shrimp Dub Dubbing 

Hackle: Hareline Hen Saddle Patches 

Legs: Sight Cast Marsh Legs  

Tying instructions

Getting started  — secure the hook in the vice, attach your thread and wrap back, dressing the shank of the hook (below left). We need to make sure that the fly flips in the water and settles with the hook point up. While heavier dumbbell eyes positioned on the underside of the hook usually ensure this orientation, lighter bead chain eyes used in shallow water sometimes don't provide enough weight to flip the fly reliably. To fix this, we are going to incorporate a ‘lift kit’.

Creating the lift kit — before attaching the eyes, take a piece of 40lb monofilament fishing line and double it over to create a loop. Tie this doubled section of monofilament, approximately 8mm in length, securely along the top of the hook shank (as shown in the image on the right above). Ensure it's firmly attached.

Adding the eyes — tie the bead chain eyes directly on top of this raised monofilament section. This doubled monofilament acts as a ‘lift kit’ by creating a space between the hook shank and where the eyes are attached. This effectively raises the position of the eyes, which in turn shifts the fly's centre of gravity. This change in weight distribution is what causes the fly to rotate in the water and settle consistently with the hook point facing upwards.

Tying in the tail — to make attaching the tail easier, first reposition the hook in your vise. Angle the hook shank downwards at approximately 45 degrees (below left). This new angle will give you better access for tying in the tail. Now, wrap your tying thread back up the hook shank, moving towards the bend of the hook. At this point, take a small clump of rabbit zonker strip and place it on top of the hook shank where you want the tail to be. Secure the tail firmly by wrapping your tying thread forward, down the hook shank, over the base of the rabbit zonker. locking the tail material in place (below right).

Dub the body — create a thin dubbing noodle and wrap this forward along the hook shank, starting from where the tail is tied in. Once you've dubbed around the bend, carefully reposition the hook in your vise so you can comfortably continue dubbing the remaining shank. Wrap the dubbing forward again, stopping just behind the eyes. Take a piece of velcro and gently brush it along the dubbed body. This will tease out some of the fibres, giving the fly a more textured and buggy appearance.

Tying in the legs — take two strands of silli legs and tie these in on one side of the hook, immediately behind the eyes. Now, fold these two strands back over themselves so the ends point rearward. Secure these folded legs to the opposite side of the hook with a few tight wraps of your thread. Finally, trim the silli legs to your desired length. The silli legs should flare out slightly. As the fly sinks, these legs will create enticing movement and vibrations, and once the fly settles on the bottom, they will also help to stabilise it.

Adding the hackle — take a hen hackle feather and tie it in by its tip onto the hook shank, just behind the bead chain eyes. Make three to four wraps with the hackle around the hook shank. As you make each wrap, gently push or preen the individual hackle fibres backwards, away from the hook eye. Once you've completed the wraps, secure the hackle stem with your tying thread directly behind the eyes and trim away the excess.

Creating the head — create a short, thin dubbing noodle and wrap this around the base of the bead chain eyes, building a neat collar. Tie off the dubbing thread right at the hook eye and trim any excess.

Finishing the fly — use your tying thread to form a small, neat head just in front of the bead chain eyes. Once you have a head shape you like, perform a whip finish to securely lock off your thread. For added durability, apply a drop of head cement or epoxy to the thread wraps at the head.

And there you have it – the Waving Wabbit, tied and ready for action. Now, tie up a few more in different colour variations, pack your rod, and head out to those skinny water creeks. With this pattern in your fly box, you're well equipped to stalk and fool even the wariest of cruising carp. Good luck, and tight lines.