Style follows function

When we were at Hot Spot Fishing a couple of weeks ago to shop for our sponsored goodies, Tom showed us a streamer with a remarkable functional approach. It was designed to be a weedless streamer, but instead of the usual nylon weedguards, he just used a zonker strip! Here's how it works:


This design requires a huge worm hook that most fly fishermen usually would shy away from. It is essential to tie the zonker strip (take a magnum) just below the eye of the hook as shown in the picture above. This way, the strip will be perfectly in line with the flattened hook point.

After you've tied all the additional stuff required for your particular design, it's time to pierce the hook through the zonker strip as shown in the pictures below:




In the end, the whole thing may or may not look like this monstrous design :



The advantage of this pattern is not only the zonker being a weed guard, but of course also the fact that the hook point will face upwards while travelling through the water. In my pattern (as in most patterns) I also kept the hook as clear as possible to facilitate hook setting. If you dress the whole hook with stuff, the hook may not be able to slide anymore once the pike has its mouth shut, and you cannot set the hook properly.



You might also notice the way the bucktail is tied in. This keeps the silhouet of the streamer wider when looked from down below (like a pike normally would see it). Don't be too generous with the amount of bucktail though, or you'll end up with a sheer uncastable projectile.

And there you have it: style follows function. A threat to the eye, but a treat for pike!