Zonker Bodies

I was trying to tie up some zonkers this evening and was experimenting with materials to use to give some shape to the body underneath the mylar tubing. I have seen lead zonker tape sold in the past, but not having any of that on hand the best ideas I could come up with were using different diameters of lead wire to form a roughly tapered underbody or using the handles from those little plastic things that you can buy for flossing. A little trimmimg with a razor blade makes for a nicely tapered underbody that, unfortunately, has very little weight to it. My question(s) is this. Any suggestions for adding weight to the plastic bodied design, or any other ideas in general for making the underbodies on the zonker. Thanks.

[This message has been edited by buckeyetier (edited 22 February 2006).]

I use aluminum tape from the hardware store to form the underbody on zonkers. When I want them weighted I wrap the hook shank with lead wire first and then put the tape over the weighted hook and trim it to shape.

buckeyetier,

They're probably not open at this time of year, but at a golf pro shop you might be able to get flat, sticky-backed, lead tape. Some golfers use it to adjust the balance of their clubs. Hope this helps - perhaps in the spring.

Bill

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Name indicates where I fish and for what I fish.

It's easy.

First, trim a few strands of lead wire to about 2/3 the length of the hook shank. Leave the upper ones a bit longer on top, tapering to slighter shorter ones on the bottom , to get a taper to the body, like this: ___________________________
__________________________
________________________
______________________. Get it?

Lay them along the bottom side of the hook shank and wrap with thread. Tie the tread off and clip it.

Next, take a hot glue gun and glue stick (I use clear glue, but you could use other colors. When it heats up, lay a line of hot glue along the bottom of the hook shank, using your fingers dipped in cold water to make a tapered belly shape. Then lay an even line of glue along the back of the shank, shaping it as well. You should now have a tapered, weighted body shape. Simply cover with mylar and complete the Zonker as normal. It will ride and track stright through the water. If you want it in a "hook-up" configuration, simply put the weights on the other side of the shank and taper that side. You may need to make a small split in the rear of the rabbit fur strip to compensate for the hook bend, much as in tying the Double-Bunny type. It will swim "hook-up" through the water.

Semper Fi!

Buckeyetier,

I've taken to using hot glue for the body on Zonkers. Eliminates dealing with the mylar tubing at all, and looks more fishlike to my eyes.

You can buy the glue sticks in glittery silver, gold, pearl, blue, green, and purple, plus a lot of solid colors.

I apply the glue to the hook shank, then spin the vise until it sets (about twenty seconds or less). Use a toothpick to pull the glue forward so you get a tapered body with the front end fatter. Leave a bit of shank exposed behind the eye to tie on the rabbit strip. Once you get the hang of it, it takes about thirty seconds to make a body.

I do the bodies in batches, say twelve to fifty at a time, depending on need. After they have cooled, I tie on the strip just behind the eye, super glue the strip to the top of the body, then trim the body to length. You can easily turn out fifty in a couple of hours at the bench.

The glue itself has some weight to it. Enough for most of the fishing I do with such flies. If you need more weight, just wrap the shank with lead before you apply the glue. The glue will hold it in place.

I tend to like eyes on this type of fly, so I'll usually tie in some black plastic bead chain before I build the hot glue body.

In any case, these are fast, durable, and very effective flies.

Good Luck!

Buddy Sanders