Jeff's Beadhead Pearl Zonker

I must confess......I am not a purist and occasionally I love to throw streamers.  I love them all.  And patterns tied with rabbit fur or rabbit strips I especially love.  They move, they breathe, they
have incredible action........and fish love them.   

One of my favorites for many, many years for big fish has been a zonker.  One, it has a lot of fish appeal and sports a great profile as a seemingly tasty mouthful for a fish.  Few materials breathe with lifelike action like rabbit fur, and this fly is no exception.  One trick I have always liked is not lashing the end of the rabbit strip down; many other tyers, Dan Bailey of "Dan Baileys Fly Shop MT" fame does likewise, and it really adds to the action of the fly.  Adding flash material as a tail makes a real difference as well, it gives tantalizing flash and moves alot due to the "turbulence" and displacement of water that is caused by the movement of the rabbit strip.  Tie up a few and try them, I think you'll agree they are a killer.  One tip, tie the zonker strip as shown as tying them longer accounts for some short strikes and the strip will foul on the hook .


Materials:
Hook:  Streamer Hook, sizes 4-10
Thread:  6/0 Unithread
Tail:   Angel Hair, Silveror Pearl, though any flash will do, flashabou works well
Body:  Pearl Ice Chenille or flash chenille or Estaz, small
Wing:  Zonker Strip, Natural, white, or gray, all work well
Head:   5/32 beadhead, Gold or Copper, color doesn't matter

What the Materials Look Like:       Hook    Thread     Tail       Body      Wing      Head

Directions for Tying Jeffs Beadhead  Pearl Zonker

   
Steps 1 - 3:  Start thread as shown and make a thread base, going all the way to a point just above the hook bend.  Tie in a sparse bunch of Angel hair or Ice Wing about the length of the hook shank, and
secure with several thread turns and trim excess.  Move thread back forward to about the 3/4 mark
and tie in a 3-4inch piece of ice chenille.  Wrap back on it all the way to the rear.

   
Steps 4-6:  Move thread forward back to the 3/4 mark, wrap the ice chenille forward as shown and
tie off.  Tie in a Zonker strip about 1 3/4 times the length of the hook shank.  Secure with several
very tight turns and whip finish.

   
Steps 7-9:  Push the bead back forcing it back against the rabbit strip, reattach the tying thread, and
make several tight thread turns back against the bead - -locking the bead in place.  Tie in another
piece of ice chenille, secure with several tight turns, then move the thread forward slightly.

   
Steps 10-12:  Wrap the ice chenille forward, completing the "head" area ahead of the bead.  Tie off
the ice chenille, taking care not to crowd the eye with either the chenille or any excess thread turns.
Pull the Zonker strip over top of the bead and ice chenille head and secure it with several tight turns
of thread.  Trim excess strip and build a small, neat thread head using as few thread turns as possible.
Whip finish and cement.



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                                                   Jeffrey Wilkins Fly Tying
                                                 3703 Windspray Court 
                                                             Summerfield, NC 27358
                                           (336) 644-7775   jeff@jeffreywilkinsflyfishing.com