The Woolly Gentleman

Fly Fish Food

Matched on streamer flies, trout, broad catalog. Strong technical tying and trout catalog coverage, especially nymphs, dries, and stillwater flies.

Fulling Mill Flies

Matched on streamer flies, trout, broad catalog. Large pattern house with broad freshwater and saltwater fly categories.

Orvis Fly Catalog

Matched on streamer flies, trout, broad catalog. Broad retail catalog for standard trout, warmwater, salmon/steelhead, and saltwater patterns.

Big Y Fly Co.

Matched on streamer flies, trout, broad catalog. Broad by-type catalog useful for common benchmark patterns and inexpensive backups.

The Zonker takes a strip of rabbit hide, wraps it around a tube of flash, and creates something that swims through the water with the sinuous motion of a small fish that is about to become a smaller fish. The rabbit strip pulses and breathes in the current, and the mylar body throws light like a minnow's scales catching the sun. It is elegant in its simplicity and devastating in its effectiveness, which is more than can be said for most things involving rabbit fur.

Quick Facts

TypeStreamer

Difficultyintermediate

SeasonsSpring, Summer, Fall

Target SpeciesBrown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass

Sizes#4 - #10

Best LocationsWhite River, AR; Spring River, AR; Norfork River, AR

Where to Fish It

White River

AR · Tailwater

Spring River

AR · Spring-Fed River

Norfork River

AR · Tailwater

Map unavailable. Locations for Zonker: White River, AR; Spring River, AR; Norfork River, AR

Woolly Bugger

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Midwest & Driftless

#6 - #12

The most versatile fly ever tied. Marabou tail, chenille body, palmered hackle. Imitates leeches, crayfish, minnows, and whatever else you need it to be.

BlackOliveBrownWhite

Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout · Smallmouth Bass · Largemouth Bass

SprSumFallWin

Streamerintermediate

Sculpin Streamer

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Midwest & Driftless

#4 - #8

Weighted bottom-dwelling sculpin imitation. Deer hair head flares wide. Imitates the primary forage fish in Ozark and Driftless streams.

Olive/BrownTanDark Sculpin

Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

SprSumFallWin

Crystal Woolly Bugger

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Great Lakes

#4 - #10

Crystal chenille variant of the classic Woolly Bugger. Extra flash and a slightly bulkier profile make it the go-to general-purpose searching pattern across all Great Lakes water types.

Black/CrystalOlive/CrystalWhite/CrystalPurple/Crystal

Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout · Smallmouth Bass · Steelhead · Northern Pike

SprSumFallWin

Woolly Bugger

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Southeast & Carolinas

#6 - #12

The universal streamer. Marabou tail, chenille body, palmered hackle. Imitates everything from leeches to crayfish to sculpin in Appalachian waters.

BlackOliveBrownWhite

Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout · Brook Trout · Smallmouth Bass

SprSumFallWin

Streamerintermediate

Muddler Minnow

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Southeast & Carolinas

#4 - #10

Don Gapen's deer hair headed sculpin imitation. The original sculpin pattern. Flared deer hair creates a wide profile that pushes water.

Natural Deer HairBlackWhite

Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout · Smallmouth Bass

SprSumFallWin

Woolly Bugger

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Southwest & California

4-12

The universal search pattern that imitates leeches, baitfish, crayfish, and probably the meaning of life. Deadly stripped through desert tailwaters and California spring creeks alike.

oliveblackbrownwhitepurple

Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Largemouth Bass · Smallmouth Bass

SprSumFallWin