FLY
Zonker
Zonker recipe
| Hook | #8 - 14 streamer |
|---|---|
| Thread | to match beard (red, orange) |
| Body | mylar tubing |
| Tail | rabbit zonker (or squirrel) |
| Beard | soft hen hackle (red, orange) |
About this fly
from The Basic Manual of Fly-Tying by Fling & Puterbaugh Cut a piece of mylar tubing a bit longer than hook shank; fray one end of tubingTie in thread above barbSlide tubing over hook shank with frayed end around the bend and over the thread tie inThread wrap tubing at hook bend; cinch down and secure with a whip knot; clip threadPull eye end of tubing toward bend and tie in thread an eye length behind eye; thread wrap eye end of tubing at tie in point to secure tubing and create the bait-fish belly; secure thread with a whip knot and clip threadCut a strip of rabbit zonker so the leather is the length of the hook shank plus an eye and half the tubing tail; be careful to cut only the leather so there is a fur tailReattach the thread at the tail tie in pointLay zonker strip on top of body material so leather is over eye and halfway over tubing tail; split the hare hair at the rear thread tie in point (it helps to wet the fur to pull forward and rearward at the split); thread wrap over the zonker at the split to secure the strip to the top of the hook shank above the barb; secure with a whip knot; clip threadReattach thread an eye length behind eye; split the zonker fur at tie in point and thread wrap over the leather strip to secure zonker at front of hook; clip off extra zonker at an angle away from the eyeInvert the hookPrepare a V-notched hen soft hackle of desire color: red, orange (clip out the tip of the feather, separate 4 to 6 fibers on each side of the stem and pull t
What the Zonker imitates
- Streamer / baitfish
Where the Zonker came from
- Derived from New Zealand Rabbit Fly, 1930, New Zealand. NZ Rabbit flies with wool/chenille bodies used since the 1930s; Orvis says Byford based it on NZ streamers.Source: Ahrex Hooks: Zonker - a fly that swims
- Originated by Dan Byford, 1970, Colorado. Colorado fly-shop owner; mid-1970s. Ahrex and Hastings Fly Fishers also credit Byford in the 1970s. Sources give 1970–1975.Source: Orvis News: Classic Video: How to Tie a Zonker Streamer; also Ahrex Hooks: Zonker - a fly that swims <https://ahrexhooks.com/2017/08/11/zonker-a-fly-that-swims/>
Where sources tell it differently, each account is listed with its own source.
Inside the vault every material on this fly opens to its own card, and you can save the fly to your own boxes.
