The Fair Fly

A zonker that has been responsible for many sea trout and brown trout catches

By Martin Joergensen

This fly is a larger and more imitative variation of the Squirrel Zonker. The addition of the eyes and the heavy hair hackle makes the fly more fishlike and the Fair Fly is a good imitation of a sculpin. The fly is tied with fur from nutria, which has a dense curly underfur and shiny, spiky guard hairs. the fur could easily be 'substituted' with mink. With ladies furs it actually works the other way round.
Look in the Gallery for a color picture of the fly.

Hook	Long shank down eye streamer size 4-2
Thread	Grey or tan
Tail	Tip of zonker strip
Body	Silver tinsel
Rib	Oval silver tinsel
Wing	Zonker strip cut from nutria (or mink)
Hackle	Hair hackle from nutria
Eyes	bead chain eyes
Head	Heavy dubbing over and in front of eyes

1. Tie the body and zonker wing like mentioned under the Squirrel Zonker
2. Leave at least two eye widths for the head.
3. Make a dubbing loop and put aside.
4. Tie in the eyes one eye width behind hook eye.
5. Catch a tuft of nutria underfur and guard hair in the dubbing loop, spin and cover space behind the eyes with the hackle.
6. Dub the thread with nutria and cover the base of the eyes with dubbing.
7. Finish the fly and stroke hairs over eyes with velcro to mix with the hackle. The nutria can easily be substituted with mink. Squirrel will do fine for smaller flies and rabbit for larger ones.

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