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Thread: Zonker-clouser

  1. #11
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    The only thing I could possibly see being the reason is that the dumbell eyes if tied underneath would/could potentially close the gape of the hook, but then again, if a wider gape hook was used this might not be an issue.

  2. #12
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    I like !

    Innovative use of materials and the epoxy body will definately add to the realism as well as fixing the tail wrapping problem.

    Good stuff, keep it up.
    "Hierdie drol het baie vlieë" - Ago 2014.

  3. #13
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    Thanks, Scythe!
    "I think I fish, in part, because it's an anti-social, bohemian business that, when gone about properly, puts you forever outside the mainstream culture without actually landing you in an institution." John Gierach

  4. #14
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    Four seasons ago my "go-to" Leerie fly was a long white zonker strip tied on a 4/0 Gamakatsu with a white epoxy head with big eyes - usually yellow. I have a picture of the fly somewhere and will try to find it and post it.

    It was extremely effective for two seasons and then all of a sudden, became less so. I tied in a mono loop at the bend of the hook to stop it wrapping, but it only worked most of the time because of the length of the zonker strip. Wrapping seems to be inevitable with long zonkers.

    After many fruitful days of stripping the fly in at full speed, I found out by accident one day that drifting it slowly with intermittent strips resulted in a helluva lot more and lifelike movement of the strip, which Leeries seemed to find irrresistable (for a time at least!).

    I never added any weight to the fly because it hindered the movement of the zonker and didn't allow the fly to drift around in the current.

    It was particularly deadly at the drop-off at Breede, just a rod length in to the water. The drop-off used to be far more pronounced and even the larger Leeries would swim up the estuary on the bottom right up against the drop-off, mugging shouls of mullet from the bottom as they went.

    Drifting the fly in the current with the occasional twitch, with only about a metre of flyline out of the top guide, resulted in some spectacular, knee-trembling strikes.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    Quote Originally Posted by Garage View Post
    Four seasons ago my "go-to" Leerie fly was a long white zonker strip tied on a 4/0 Gamakatsu with a white epoxy head with big eyes - usually yellow. I have a picture of the fly somewhere and will try to find it and post it.

    It was extremely effective for two seasons and then all of a sudden, became less so. I tied in a mono loop at the bend of the hook to stop it wrapping, but it only worked most of the time because of the length of the zonker strip. Wrapping seems to be inevitable with long zonkers.

    After many fruitful days of stripping the fly in at full speed, I found out by accident one day that drifting it slowly with intermittent strips resulted in a helluva lot more and lifelike movement of the strip, which Leeries seemed to find irrresistable (for a time at least!).

    I never added any weight to the fly because it hindered the movement of the zonker and didn't allow the fly to drift around in the current.

    It was particularly deadly at the drop-off at Breede, just a rod length in to the water. The drop-off used to be far more pronounced and even the larger Leeries would swim up the estuary on the bottom right up against the drop-off, mugging shouls of mullet from the bottom as they went.

    Drifting the fly in the current with the occasional twitch, with only about a metre of flyline out of the top guide, resulted in some spectacular, knee-trembling strikes.
    Nice post Garage,

    I have used this method also using a large all white popper and also dead drift it with a occasional pop or 2. Have had more hook-ups like this, they even hit it static. More of the method used to catch bass.

    Dave
    Handle every situation like a dog.- If you cant hump it, piss on it and walk away. --JASPER.

  6. #16
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    Dec 2006
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    Something I've picked up wrt Zonker flies: (I tie a salty bugger variation with zonker strip for use on Leeries and everything else in the surf)

    Weight the fly quite heavily to ensure a proper jigging action, then with rod under arm using the normal double handed SW retrieve, make short 10cm strips, the speed of which is determined by your overall intended speed of retrieval.

    EXPLOSIVE takes.

    Do it in your pool to get an idea of the motion it imparts to the fly.
    "Hierdie drol het baie vlieë" - Ago 2014.

  7. #17
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    Oct 2006
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    I like to weight the clousers with lead wire aswell...gives them the jigging action that scythe spoke about.I can understand about the dead drift...have heard of leeries coming up to a floating popper to have a look....

    Where is the pic micheal???
    stephen is wishing he was fishing location x right now.......



    Stephen Smith

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