We all love fishing big, flashy, articulated trout streamers but sometimes that’s not always on the menu for trout and steelhead. Often, downsizing the trout streamer will get the fish to commit. Small trout streamers are great because you can nymph, jig and swim them very easily. We all have our own confidence patterns with fly fishing flies, this is mine.
Call it a zonker, call it a slumpbuster, call it whatever you want. Trout streamers are a simple tie that has movement, sparse flash and good profile. I like tying trout streamers on jig hooks, with 2.8mm to 3.8mm beads. You can tie trout streamers in any color combo with any color bead. Pine squirrel strips can also be used for an even smaller nymph-like streamer. I tie them in black, white and olive.
Tie in a piece of micro rabbit strip, hide side up for the tail. The tail can be plucked for desired length.
The shank can be dubbed with anything. I like to use ice dub and Senyos, or whatever is lying in front of me.
Brush out the dubbing, the Stonfo Comb/Brush tool is perfect for this.
I like to make a brush with the zonker strip. However, you can just palmer wrap a zonker strip a couple times as well.
Once the zonker strip is spun in the loop, palmer wrap the brush 4-5 times.
Whip finish and you’re done.
This colored up buck couldn’t resist the Walt’s Worm of trout streamers.