Zonker Lure

Start by catching the thread a short way back from the eye and wrap it tightly down the shank to make a neat base layer.

This fly is good for both trout and mackerel fishing. It also catches scad and is tied on a long shank hook in around sizes 8 - 12. You can fish it with a steady retrieve, a slow retrieve or even strip it back fairly quickly to try and induce a take. It is a good imitation for a small baitfish and, in olive green, can catch trout when they have been feeding on similarly coloured damselfly nymphs.

Catch in some coloured herl from a chicken hackle, locking the fibres down securely.

Tie on a piece of zonker strip and catch in a length of tinsel. Lift the zonker strip back and wind the thread all the way back to the eye.

Tie off the thread and then wind the tinsel all the way to the eye of the hook. Glue down the zonker strip to the tinsel.

Finish by using the tinsel to secure the top of the strip. Trim off any excess and then varnish to secure.