I
n previous articles, I have touched
on a variety of subjects including
material selection, imitations, actions
and techniques such as the para-
chute and hackle stacker. These are all
important when it comes to fly-tying, but
there are two aspects we have yet to
discuss which are probably the most
important after material selection: pro-
files and proportions. Every single fly, no
matter the type or size, has a profile and
must be tied to match the proportions of
what is being imitated. Failing to heed
this will affect its performance in or on
the water and risks the fly being rejected.As a starting point, we have to know
what we want to imitate before we can
select a hook and materials. Once we’ve
identified these, we need to choose the
correct hook style for the pattern in order
to achieve the correct profile. Then we
need to select the hook size, which will set
the parameters within which we need to
work in order to achieve the correct pro-portions. The amount of material used
will have a direct impact on the profile
and proportion of the fly. For example, if
the fly is too big for the hook you’ve
chosen, it will most likely handicap the
hook point and affect your hook-up ratio.
Profile and proportion go hand in hand –
the profile of a fly won’t be right if the
proportion isn’t right. The above apply to
all flies we tie, from wets to dries, stream-
ers, baitfish and crustacean imitations,
whether fresh water or salt water.The fly illustrated in this article is a
standard Rabbit Zonker in which I sub-
stituted materials in order to create an
even better profile which will push much
more water in dark and murky water
conditions. Normally, we use dubbing or
chenille to tie the abdomen on a Zonker,
but in this case I use Brilliant Brush to
create the abdomen. The properties of
Brilliant Brush allow for the abdomen to
be shaped, almost like you would shape
the body of a deer hair fly.The material gives a much better pro-
file and keeps that profile in the water
due to its ridged properties, and when
looked at from the front, it’s much wider
and stiffer than that of a chenille or
dubbing abdomen.RABBIT ZONKER VARIATION
HOOK: Grip 53584BN, #1.
THREAD: 3/0 Grip.
WING: Grip Zonker strips.
TAIL: Grip UV Crystal Flash.
ABDOMEN: Grip Brilliant Brush,
20mm diameter.
EYES: 3D stick-on eyes,
UV resin.76 | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 | TCFFFORUM: AT THE BENCH
The success of a fly pattern lies in achieving the correct profile and proportion to match that
of the natural. Contributor ARNO LAUBSCHER illustrates how to get this right.Profiles and Proportions
Download the free QR
scanner on Play Store or
App Store. Scan the code
with your smartphone, and
watch Arno tie this fly.WATCH IT ON VIDEO!STEP 1
Step 1:Cover the hook shank with thread. Tie in eight to ten strands of Crystal Flash at the back about the same length as the
hook shank.
Step 2:Cut a piece of Zonker strip about one and a half times the length of the hook shank. Tie it down at the back on top of the
Crystal Flash to form a tail the same length as the Crystal Flash.Photos by Arno Laubscher (ScientificFly)
TYING PROCEDURES – RABBIT ZONKER VARIATIONSTEP 2