Tight Lines Fly Fishing: Paul's February 2023 Fly of the Month

Zirdle Bug

Hook: Umpqua X Series XT500 Size #10.

Bead: Black Slotted Tungsten Bead 3.8mm 5/32”.

Thread: Danville’s Tan Flat Waxed Nylon.

Tail/Wing: Natural Pine Squirrel Zonker.

Body: Brown/Yellow Stonefly Chenille.

Legs: Tan Life Flex.

Collar: (Optional) UV Brown Ice Dub.

Yet another small streamer with Pine Squirrel Zonker. Flies like this are just ‘killers’. Even if you do not tie the Zirdle Bug, here is what you want to learn from this pattern recipe – TIE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE STREAMER PATTERNS ON A JIG HOOK! They sink fast and fish inverted with an exceptional jigging action. You can fish them as an anchor on your nymph rigs, with less bottom snags. This fly can represent a variety of trout food including crayfish, sculpins, hellgrammites, and stone flies. A great fly to dead drift and catch a lot of fish! The material list above is to tie the Zirdle in natural colors. Tie it also in Black, Purple, and especially in Brown & Olive.

To tie this fly place your slotted bead on your hook and place it in the vice. Begin your thread behind the bead and wrap down to the bend with touching wraps. Next, prepare your cheneille to be tied onto the rear of the hook shank by striping some of the material from the center ‘core’ with your fingernail. This will give you a nice piece of thread to bind down your chenille. Once it’s secured, advance your thread 2/3rds up the hook shank. Tie off your chenille, then sweep back the ‘butt’ end rearward. You are now going to tie in your rubber legs. You need 2 pieces approximately 4 times the length of the hook shank. (You will trim them evenly later.) Tie one section on one side of the hook shank, and the other section on the opposite side of the hook shank. They should extend ‘up’ from the hook shank. Next, take your body material and take one wrap between the middle of both legs and one wrap in the front behind the bead. Tie it off behind the bead, cut off the butt end, and whip finish the fly, but don’t cut your thread. It should look like a Pat’s Rubber Legs without the tail.

Now, prepare your Squirrel Zonker Strip for the fly. Invert your hook and measure the Zonker against the fly. The Zonker Strip will be pierced by the hook at the rear of the fly. It will also be affixed behind the bead with your thread. Your tail should extend approximately 2-3 times the length of the hook shank, but it’s really a matter of personal preference. You can mark the Zonker with a sharpy or ‘eye-ball’ it for length. Remove your hook from the vice and pierce the Zonker with the hook. Adjust it so that it will lay flat on your fly body. You should have some excess Zonker that extends beyond the bead. Trim those hairs off the hide to establish a flat tie in point for your thread. Take some securing wraps to bind down the Strip behind the bead. Trim the excess Zonker hide. You can whip finish the fly if you so desire, but I like to dub a little collar with Ice Dub. Finally, whip finish your fly and cut off the tag end of thread.