Hook:Tiemco 300 size 2-4
Thread:White 3/0
Weight:Medium lead wire
Body:Magnum Rabbit Strips (Chinchilla over white illustrated here)
Sides:Pearl Krystal Flash and holographic tinsel or Flashabou
Eyes:3D self-adhesive (size to suit the hook size)
Adhesives:Val-A-Tearmender for the rabbit hide, Goop for the eyes
Hosted and created by Mountain Anglers; © 2008-2009
Wrap lead wire as shown, build a thread "stop" on both ends.
Begin dubbing underdody, smooth and slightly tapered at both ends. Wind thread back to the bend.
Cut an oversized length of mylar piping and remove interior string core.
This recipe is compliments of Rob O'Reily.
Slip the piping over the dubbed body until it hits the thread from your bobbin. Some of the loose fibers will extend beyond, thats fine. Tie of as shown, approx. 5 wraps of thread.
Hold your pc. of Zonker strip in position on top of the mylar piping, making sure some of it extends beyond the eye. Separate the fur over the rear tie-in point and make 4-5 wraps over the bare hide you’ve exposed.
The Zonker
Tie off the thread with 3 half-hitches made large, and looped over the front end of the fly as shown. NOTE:Steps 5&6 may require that you switch hands.
Select an olive grizzly marabou feather and tie it in by the tip.
Make 3-4 wraps of hackle and tie-off.
Stroke the fibers back, and make several wraps of thread over them. This makes a "bullet-proof" tie-in for the hackle, and helps to accentuate the shape of the minnow. (bigger at the head)
When tying Zonkers, I mix some epoxy and use it to coat the head, rear tie-in point of the Zonker strip and the area betweem the strip and back. Since it is 5 minute epoxy, this means 2, maybe 3 flies at a time before the epoxy is impossible to work with.
With the olive thread, tie in over the piping, just behind the eye of the hook. When it is secure, trim off the excess mylar, being careful not to cut the thread.
Pull the zonker strip forward, and cut it to length just behind the eye of the hook. Strip a small tuft of fur from the end, and trim to a taper as shown. The fur is removed to give the thread direct contact with the rabbit skin. Gently pull the rabbit strip forward with your right hand, and loop the thread over the top of the fly with your left hand. (Right-handed directions) Make several tight wraps. It is critical that the strip be under some tension when you tie it in.
