This is a basic zonker streamer that I tied to catch some of our larger freshwater predatory fish. The colour combo is based on other effective streamers, especially tigerfish streamers, used across Africa. I’ve only been fishing it for a few months and it has already proven to be quite effective for catching spotted and smallmouth bass, yellowfish and tigerfish.
Materials
Thread - Gordon Griffiths Sheer 14/0 black
Hook – Gamakatsu B10S Stinger #4 - #2
Bead - Large hot orange tungsten bead
Undertail (‘anti wrap guard’) - Stripped black zonker, short piece (this is glued to the top zonker strip with GemKem contact at the end)
Body – Root beer cactus chenille
Wing/tail - Black zonker strip
Rib - 12 lb monofilament
Collar - EP™ SPARKLE BRUSH 1" WIDE BLACK/PURPLE
Tying sequence
1 Squash the barb on a 2 B10 Stinger hook and place a large hot orange on the hook.
2 Wrap the thread onto the hook shank and tie in the stripped zonker piece that will serve as an undertail.
3 Tie in a piece of copper wire (best when fishing for tigers.)
4 Tie in the root beer cactus chenille and a piece of olive wool.
5 Wrap the wool forward to form a uniform body
6 Wrap the cactus chenille over the wool.
7 Tie in the zonker wing behind the bead.
8 Secure the zonker strip with the copper wire.
9 Tie the brush in right in front of the zonker strip
10 Wrap the brush forward and tie off onto the bead - I specifically tie it off onto the bead to make the hot orange more subtle in this fly.
11 Cover the two opposing zonker surfaces at the tail in a thin layer of contact glue.
12 The finished product after the tail zonker strips have been glued together.
Tips:
This fly works well for good size Clanwilliam yellowfish, which was my aim with it initially, but I subsequently also caught tigerfish on it in South Africa. For a more durable fly to catch multiple tigerfish, for instance, the mono rib should be replaced with copper wire. I fish the fly with long slow strips on a clear intermediate line with 12 – 15 lb fluorocarbon tippet. Smallmouth and spotted bass also ate it while fishing for yellows in rivers. Takes on this fly have been very aggressive so keep that stripping hand ready to give line when something hits and runs!
Return to News
