Great Beginner Flies Series: Zonker

Originally developed in the 1970's by Dan Byford, the zonker has become a mainstay in most any fly fisherman's fly box, with many variations to target most any species of fish.  This fly is so effective for two reasons:  (1) it is simple to tie, and (2) it yields unbelievable movement in the water.  This makes the fly attractive to the angler as well as the fish.

My personal favorite is using a striped bunny zonker strip with some flashabou added for a more reflective tail.  The key is to allow the flashabou to be slightly longer than the zonker strip.  So far, I have tied this pattern in green and white.  Almost every trip, one of these two zonker colors is on my four weight rod, ready to target largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, bluegill, rock bass, and most anything else that swims by.

I have found the most effective technique is to use slow to medium strips, with a pause and retrieve method often proving deadly when the fish are less aggressive.  Since the zonker tail has so much underwater movement, you will find the fly flutters seductively down the water column when pausing the retrieve.  If a slightly deeper presentation is desired, a conehead can be added.  Personally, I never tie the fly without a generous amount of wire wrapped around the hook shank, which helps to get the fly just below the surface.

The White Tiger Zonker, AKA the Siegfried and Roy

The Chartreuse Tiger Zonker

While the debate still goes on about whether adding a red throat yield better catch rates, I always prefer to tie with red thread, and to add a touch of red bucktail towards the front, simply to make the fly look better if nothing else.  Then again, I have caught a lot of fish with this pattern, so I feel the hotspot works.

As you can see, the zonkers above are a bit smaller than average.  I have found this smaller size to be more effective, especially if you are targeting bigger crappie and bluegill.  I have also caught more than enough bass to justify the smaller size, and, in general, have found smaller flies to be more effective.  In the end, feel free to experiment for yourself, and, as always, tight lines!