The Perfect Zonker

1. The Perfect Zonker Hook Mustad 36890 (salmon) #4 or #6, or 79580 (streamer) #8 or similar Tail white bucktail – length equal to length of hook shank Body silver Mylar tubing – narrow, to hook bend, front stops 3 eye-gaps behind eye Thread #1 white, yellow, orange, or red – in order of preference. Thread #2 grey or black Gills red ostrich – or bright red dubbing – covering 3-eye gap Wing grey Zonker strip of Squirrel – or rabbit, but not a big one, tied in at 2- eye gap Hackle grey, mottled or barred hen (soft) feather (chicken or upland bird), covering 2-eye gap Leather of wing is cut at ½ the tail length, fur reaches just past tail. I have named this the Perfect Zonker, not because it is perfect but because my plan for the evening is that each person will tie a perfect one. And after tying a dozen for a fly swap I think I can be perfect when I tie one. Greg Herring

2. 1

3. 2

4. 3

5. 4

6. 5

7. 6

8. 7

9. 8

10. 9

11. 10

12. Notes • The Zonker was originally designed by Dan Byford of the US. It is a cousin of the Matuka, which is a fly from New Zealand. They are both streamers, and what distinguishes them from other streamers is that the wing of the fly is tied in at the eye and also tied in along the hook shank, or at least at the hook bend. This has three benefits: • The fly has a good profile like a bait-fish • The wing does not foul around the hook bend when casting. • The use of the fur strip makes the fly very durable. • This class/demonstration will concentrate on proportions, and measuring material placement against the hook. Often the position of the thread will be the marker for spacing. The best hook is up-eye or at least straight eye as it allows the weight of the leather to remain below or at least even with the eye – the fly remains upright.