{{+1}}Zonker yabby / crayfish{{-1}}
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I designed this fly in 2002 and when the yabbies are on the move it's one of my go to flies. My original notes on this fly are set out below.
"In lakes like Jindabyne and Eucumbene you seldom catch a trout with a full stomach when the contents doesn’t include yabbies.
Over the years I have experimented with various Yabby Patterns and whilst some have looked great unfortunately they have all been “dogs” to fish or more correctly to cast. Generally rather than using them I have reverted to fishing a weighted woolly bugger instead. Well all that has now changed and I now have a Yabby in my fly box that I have confidence in."
Since 2002 there have been a few new products that have hit the market that I have substituted into the recipe for this fly making it even better than the original.
In the neutral weighted form this yabby works well as a polaroiding fly and in that case is best fished on a floating line with a leader of at least 14 feet. If the bottom is sand allow the fly to settle in the path of patrolling fish and if not noticed just give it the slightest twitch. If if the bottom is weedy or rocky rather than letting the fly settle twitch it along as slow and close to the bottom structure as possible.
The weighted form can be fished on a range of lines from floating right down to full sink lines and can be fished alone or as the point fly in a team of flies. Best retrieve is generally a jerky figure of 8 retrieve or a stripping action with plenty of pauses in the retrieve.
This is a fly that lens itself to a little enhancement with a black or dark olive permanent marker. |
Materials
Hook | Thread | Weight | Sieves | Head, thorax and body | Eyes | Claws | Ribbing | Back |
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Size 6 Knapek Streamer hook | Olive | Lead wire | Black Marabou | Siman peacock dubbing in 06 blue | Melted monofilament eyes | Zonker strip prepared as set out below | Medium copper wire | Zonker strip prepared as set out below |
Zonker strip claws and back profile – cut from a length of Zonker strip with the fur stripped off. I generally use zonker that I have previously stripped the fur off when tying my bag flies. |
Process
B |
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F |
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