The Squirrel Tail Zonker Bugger

 

    The Squirrel Tail Zonker Bugger is one of the most effective and easy-to-tie flies for big trout and bass. The materials needed for this are brown squirrel tail Zonker strips, cone head weight, size 8 Mustad Aberdeen hook, UTC ultra thread 140, and some Krystal flash to add some color attractant to it. You will also need a fly-tying kit with a vice and tools if you do not have one. Here is a cheap and simple starter fly-tying kit with tools and some materials (Wapsi fly tying kit).

    To begin with, you want to put your cone head weight onto your hook. I usually put the hook shank into the vice, so it is easier to slide on the weight. Once you do that put the bend of the hook into the vice and then lay a thread base down to where the hook begins to bend. After a thread base is laid down measure out a piece of Zonker tail that is twice the length of the hook shank and tie it off tight to the hook, after that tie in the Krystal flash to both sides of the hook. If you would like to apply some super glue to the hook shank to hold it in place. After that take a strip of Zonker tail that is as long as the hook shank and then wrap the strip forward to the base of the cone weight and then tie it off. Apply head cement to hold tightly.

    This fly is extremely versatile. For trout, it makes a great sculpin-style body that is meant to be slowly stripped on the river bottom for a bigger trout bite. This fly's use doesn't just stop at trout though, it also creates a great bass lure. It mimics a crawfish fairly well, especially with the Krystal flash that resembles the legs of a crawfish.