Lesson 4: THE ZONKER

The zonker is almost as popular fly today as the Leech. It fishes both in lakes and rivers. Specially the rainbow trouts are attracted in Zonkers, but the trouts take it, too, when the fly is served in the right way. Minisize Zonkers are a good choice in fishing grayling. The secret of this fly is the extremely living movements when it swimms.

The Dressing:

Hook: Streamer, 3x, # 2-14
Tag: Round silver tinsel
Rib: Round silver tinsel
Body: Orange chenille
Wing: A piece of rabbit skin with hairs, fastened with zonker teqnique = with the rib
Front: Small bunches of rabbitfur
Head: Thread

Try different combinations of colours.

Prime the shank and fasten the tinsel under the shank.

Turn the thread 1 mm forward. Turn the tinsel 4-5, side-by-side turns forward and fasten the tag.You can varnish the tag, too. The tag makes the body stronger. It is a shiny hitpoint, when the fish attacks from behind.

Fasten the bodychenille with the corethread.

Tie the body with the chenille.

Cut the rabbitskin like in the picture. The length of the wing is two times the shank.

Fasten the rabbitstrip in front of the body.

Hold the strip tight and fasten it with turns of the tinsel on the shank. Criss cross movements of the tinsel and a little help with a clean needle makes a nice wing. Fasten the tinsel.

Fasten some bunches of rabbitfur in front of the body and the wing.

Varnish the head. The Zonker is ready.