[texasag07]

Age old question, leather strip up or down on rabbit strip tail tarpon flies?

I have done both and caught fish on both(talking migratory fish not juivies).

Post your preference and why?

 

[hipshot]

I just close my eyes and tie.... It’s always a surprise.

 

[shb]

 

[OED]

Laces out Dan

 

[k-roc]

I think if the fly is meant to ride near the surface, which is usually good in tarpon fishing, then leather side up. The fly will look sexier that way. I often tie with the leather side down for one simple reason, it's way easier for me to poke a hole in the leather and pass the mono thru to make it foul proof. I get really annoyed trying to find the hole I poked in the fur side. Watch Peter from SS Flies do it:

 

[bw510]

Makes no difference
It all Comes down to who’s casting it..

 

[bugslinger]

For the poon flies I tie for deeper water (with weight) I tie the fur up, strip down. For shallow water unweighted flies I tie fur down strip up. Both have been successful. My thoughts on this are quite simple- in the end if you’re comfortable throwing the fly, your chances of success are greater than if you don’t like the bug. Presentation and confidence in the fly are far more important.

 

[crboggs]

Is the fish looking up at the fly or down at it?

 

[k-roc]

it looks more alive if the fish is seeing the furry side. If the fly is close to surface, best to have leather side up.

 

[Backwater]

it looks more alive if the fish is seeing the furry side. If the fly is close to surface, best to have leather side up.

What do you think a bunny strip on a fly represents?

 

[k-roc]

It doesn't represent anything different than marabou, craft fur, etc. but I just find that the fur side looks more uniform and has better action to it than the side with leather. Here's an SS Flies Duke of Poons, fur side down. IMO if the fish is looking up at it, this is the better way to do it.

 

[Backwater]

Most poons looking up are looking for easy meals. Crabs and baitfish mostly have white bellies and actually crabs will have white on the underside of their legs, all pointing together behind them as the swim sideways on the surface. If you look at a lot of "good" tarpon flies, they either look like crabs or baitfish. The white leather strips on the underside help represent the profile of the bait from below (i.e. lighter on the bottom, darker on the top). I tie most of my poon flies to mimic crabs, since that is like candy to a grown poon, and then change them up when the crabs are gone to more baitfish patterns. I've caught way more poons on natural patterns than with attractor patterns. The appearance of ungelating bunny hair from below, never help a thing, at least for me over the years.

IMO if the fish is looking up at it, this is the better way to do it.

In my "experience," strip side down works! I've seen it both ways. But personally, I tie all my poon flies (and not buy them from someone who is not out in the field). I see what works and doesn't and if I'm throwing a fly with bunny tail for poons, the strip better be facing down, or I'm cutting it off.

But hey, whatever works for you.

 

[permitchaser]

I cant comment, never caught a Poon on fly. Unless you count the juvi i caught that jumped off
But my flies have caught them according to guides and friends. I tie a mono lope on the back of the hook to keep bunny from fouling
And i never pay attention to which way. I think ill star tying it sideways to cover it all

 

[k-roc]

Thanks Backwater, great info. Could I see this crab fly you tie for the poon?
I typically tie attractors as I use mostly chartreuse or black/purple and have yet to encounter anything in the natural world that looked like that!
I also only get to fish for tarpon two or three weeks a year, but for the limited amount of time I've been out, I've had good success with my ties. Below is a pic of my wife battling a very very large tarpon from her SUP, a couple of weeks ago. I was holding on to her board in order to slow the fish down. It was pure chaos. Normally if we SUP fish for tarpon we plan on them breaking off within a couple minutes, which is the smart way to do it. Anyhow the fly was small, black head with purple ostrich tail.