Tying the Mini Peanut Bunker involves two distinct stages--the tail and the head. Incorporating flash throughout the tail requires mixing Angel Hair with EP Fibers. By shuffling the two, you disperse the flash throughout the fly and capture the look of the natural. By tapering the blended fibers, you can shape the fly into a peanut-bunker profile. By leaving a turn or two of space between the layers, each lower layer pushes the layer above into a wider profile.

The keys to working with deer body hair are using the right thread, vise, and techniques. Use Uni-Cord 7/0 thread, which is very strong and makes a durable fly. Use a strong rotary vise that will not slip. The best I've used is the Barracuda by Dyna-King. And use the right techniques, which may take some practice but are really fairly simple.

Whenever you work with deer hair, you must remember and respect your enemy: torque. You must minimize torque, or circular force, in order to create impressive stacked heads of varying colors. To eliminate torque, apply force in a linear direction. Don't let this terminology scare you. The tying steps show how simple stacking deer hair can be.

The Mini Peanut Bunker pattern is one primed for success. The synthetic tail imitates the natural and "breathes" in the water, and the deer-hair head matches a young menhaden and keeps the fly swimming where the albies are on the attack.

Look for albies tearing into tiny peanut bunker at an inlet near you, especially during the dog days of August. Throw a Mini Peanut Bunker uptide of the mayhem, let it swim, and hold on for a score.

STEP #1. Cover the hook shuck with thread to the hook point then back to the eye. Tie in a blend of polar bear EP Fibers mixed with pearl green and pearl yellow Angel Hair at the eye and work back to the area directly above the hook point.

STEP #2. Beginning about 1/8 inch in front of the hook point, tie in more of the tail blend. Tie the fibers to the lower left and lower right of the hook shank. Notice the start of a bump above and in front of the hook point. This bump will serve as a base for succeeding layers as well as a wedge to support and flare the deer-hair thread.

STEP #3. Continue building a wide profile by tying in a wing of pink EP Fibers mixed with peral green Angel Hair.

STEP #4. Top the pink with a few lavender EP Fibers then sky blue EP Fibers and finally navy blue EP Fibers. The bumb shoud be neat, small, and well defined. Whip-finish on the bump above and in front of the hook point. The white and blue deer hair will be tied in directly in front of and against the bump.

STEP #5. Using Uni-Cord 7/0, spin white deer body hair around the hook shank. Use your thumb to block the deer hair from reaching the top of the shank. Tie in two more clumps of white deer hair on top of the deer hair on each side.

STEP #6. Lay the blue deer hair above the shank. Add another layer of blue deer hair. All the deer hair clumps so far are secured with the Uni-Cord at the same point. Weave the thread forward one turn. Tie in a clump of red deer hair on the bottom with two turns of thread. Continue to weave the thread forward to the eye and whip-finish.

STEP #7. With fine scissors or a double-edged razor blade, trim the deer hair to the slab profile shown here.