Z's Copper Rocket

For several years now I've kept this pattern un-named and pretty secretive as I've made slight changes to it. It's accounted for a number of my best fall steelhead days in recent years, although it isn't quite as consistant throughout the entire season as my Wicked Leech pattern. Many clients have tried to name it after it proved a day maker and one name seems to have stuck... the Copper Rocket. As it often happens, a proven trout fly made on a larger scale often makes a great steelhead fly. That is the case with this one as it is largely based off one of my best swung fly Trout patterns (Z's Olive Leech)... I've simply added a little more bulk and some proven colors of Flashabou. This fly is also completely made from synthetic materials.

Step 1: Place a Daiichi 2461 size 2 hook in your vise and wind gel spun 100 D thread to the rear of the hook. Tie in a sparse clump of Copper Ice Dub to the top of the hook, folding the remainder back and advance thread slightly forward.

Step 2: Tie in several more sparse clumps in the same way until you reach the front 1/3rd of the hook.

Step 3: Tie in a fairly large clump of UV Dark Olive Ice Dub in the same way, continuing to work towards the front of the hook.

Step 4: Tie in a fairly large clump of Copper Ice Dub. You should now be within an 1/8" of the hook eye, if not you can simply add another clump of Copper.

Step 5: Tie in a couple dozen strands of Senyo's UV Predator Wrap to the top of the hook as shown. I like to spread it around the top and sides evenly before lashing it down tight.

Step 6: Fold back the remainder of the Predator Wrap and tie it down tightly.

Step 7: Now add a few of your favorite Flashbou colors as an overwing. Again, I will spread this around the top and sides evenly before lashing tight. I typically start with Fuschia.

Step 8: For my second overwing, I typically use Copper Flashabou.

Step 9: For my final overwing I use Chartreuse Holographic Flashabou. Other colors I have found work well include Black Rainbow Polar Flash, Bullfrog, Purple and Perch Flashabou.

Zuddy's Copper Stone

This is a pattern I've used for many years, during the spring months for steelhead. Based off the classic brassie, it's a pretty simple tie and a very effective pattern. Here are the step by step instructions.

Step 1: Place a Daiichi X510 Size 8 hook in your vice, attach Large Copper Ultra Wire to the top front of the hook using either 6/0 or 3/0 UNI-Thread. Whip finish and cut thread.

Step 2: Wind the copper wire tightly around the hook to the bend and break off. Re-attach thread just behind the hook eye and attach small bead chain or black mono eyes to the top of the hook.

Step 3: Attach a small amount of Peacock Black Ice Dub to the thread and wrap around just behind the eyes.

Step 4: Tie in about a dozen strands of Copper Flashabou on top of the hook both behind and in front of the eyes.

Step 5: Tie back half of the Flashabou on the left side and the other half on the right side of the hook as if they were legs.

Step 6: Trim the Flashabou legs and you're ready to fish!

Zuddy's Flux Capacitor

This summer has been great for catching bass on a white streamer! Most summers I tend to favor yellow, but not lately... the bass of late seem very keyed in on white. I've been working the kinks out of this streamer a little at a time and finally have it the way the bass like it best. It has been outfishing every sub-surface fly in my box recently.

It fishes great on a floating line with a 7' to 9' florocarbon leader (10-12lb. test). Fish it slow with a twitch pause retrieve just under the surface. The floro leader sinks just enough to keep the deer hair sub-surface, and the fat head pushes lots of water while making the bunny strip dance. Like most of my patterns, it's a quick tie. Here are the step by step instructions.

Step 1: Place a TMC #8089 Bass hook, size 8 or 10 in your vise, attach GSP 100 thread and wind to the rear of the hook. Attached an olive barred flesh tone rabbit strip with 5-6 tight wraps and advance thread toward the hook eye... leaving enough room for a deer hair head.

Step 2: Wind the rabbit strip forward around the hook (fluffing it as you go) and tie off, still leaving enough room for the deer hair head (approx 1/4"). Trim the rabbit strip so it hangs off the rear of the hook to your desired length... I like it about 2" behind the hook.

Step 3: Add a few strands of Polarflash #2014 (Pale Blue Rainbow) as an overwing. Trim Polarflash to the same length as the rabbit strip.

Step 4: Tie in a clump of white deer hair to the top only. Trim the head slightly as you would for a sculpin type pattern.

Front View

Easy as that!  Thank you for your support!

Zuddy's Flux Capacitor is soft, chewy and Bass-Approved.

Zuddy's Super Streamer

If you've seen my other tying tutorials then you know by now I'm not one to spend more than 4-5 minutes on a single fly... except maybe the Zudbubbler. The Zuddy's Super Streamer is no exception. Tied with just two materials, this fly is super simple and fast to tie, but a very effective streamer for trout and bass. Wait til you see the great action this streamer puts out when stripped on a sinking line using a strip, pause routine.

Step 1: Choose the streamer hook of your choice. Mine is a Daiichi 2460 size 1/0 for this fly. After securing the thread (Lagartun 100 D in white) start with the thread about the same distance behind the eye as the hook gape. Tie in a clump of buck tail (I typically use white, gray, yellow or natural). Using X-wraps tie to the back of the hook and back forward leaving a small head of hair flared out (this will help the flashabou in the next step move around better).

 Step 2: Tie in a few strands (or even quite a few) of flashbou (copper is a great choice) and spread them around the top and sides of the head before lashing them down securely.

Step 3: Tie in another clump of buck tail on the top of the hook, this time leaving the head a little bigger (as you would with a Zoo Cougar or similar fly). You should now have enough room for one more clump of buck tail behind the eye.

Step 4: Clip a final clump of buck tail, this time trimming both ends (as you would if spinning deer hair) and tie it in on top of the hook or spin it around the hook, whichever you prefer. Whip finish and remove the fly from your vise.

 Step 5: Trim the head flat on the bottom and taper the head back a little (sculpin style)... not too much or too perfect, this isn't meant to be fished on the surface!

Now get off your computer and go fishing!

Capt. Matt Zudweg guides on Michigan's Muskegon River for Smallmouth Bass, Trout and Steelhead. Check out his guide service at www.zflyfishing.com
Matt also owns www.boneyardflygear.com and www.carvedfish.com

New Tool! - Zuddy's Leg Puller

Big thanks to Marcos at Hareline for listening to my idea and making it a reality! Zuddy's Leg Puller works super and is a real time saver for pulling legs through foam, deer hair, etc.

Available at your local fly shop soon!

Dealers can find them at Hareline Dubbin, Inc.

Zuddy's Copper Craw

A few years ago, a fellow guide and I both had the day off and decided to go after big brown trout on streamers. It was mid May and the water temp was about 60. It was also a little high and dirty... perfect! I decided to try a new streamer/crayfish pattern I had tied up the night before and within just a few casts we were on fish like CRAZY.... but they weren't trout, they were smallmouth bass... fine with me, I love smallies! Since then, the Copper Craw has become one of my favorite bass flies, especially when the water is under 70 degrees. I fish it on a 200 grain sinking line right on the bottom with short, crayfish like twitches. Try it out, it's a simple tie and the bass really go after it.

Step 1: Start with a Daiichi 2461 Size 1 hook clamped in your vise as shown. Using white GSP 100 thread, lash in 4 to 6 bead chain eyes on the top of the hook. I nearly always use 6, but they are easy to trim off in the field if it's too much weight. (By clamping the hook as shown you will be able to put more pressure on the thread without bending the hook).

Step 2: Advance thread to the rear of the hook and tie in a barred 1/8" rabbit strip as shown. Olive/black is shown, but white/olive works great as well.

 Step 3: Advance thread to front of hook, just behind the bead chain. Wind the rabbit strip forward and tie off. Trim the tail off so it extends approx. 1-1/2" beyond the hook bend.

Step 4: Prepare a large yellow or white mallard flank by stripping the rear feathers off and tie in by the tip just behind the bead chain.

Step 5: Wind the mallard flank collar around 3-4 times and tie off.

Step 6: Tie in a generous amount of copper flashabou just behind the bead chain, matching the length of the tail.

Step 7: Fold the flashabou over the bead chain eyes and lash down on the underside of the fly as shown. Trim flashabou to the same length as the tail. Advance thread to the front of the bead chain eyes and whip finish.

Top view of the finished fly.

Matt Zudweg guides for Feenstra Guide Service on Michigan's Muskegon River and also owns BoneYard Fly Gear. www.boneyardflygear.com

Zuddy's Chicken and Ice

As I sit at my vise this morning, it is early May and it is raining super hard... this gets me excited for big brown trout on big streamers! Anytime the water level is going up and getting dirty is a great time to throw some meat at our beloved predators, the brown trout. Over the past several years, the pattern below has become one of my favorite streamers for trout. I have also used it successfully for steelhead and bass when tied in other colors. As with most of my patterns, it's a simple and quick tie.

Step 1: Start with a Daiichi 2461 hook, size 1. I prefer white thread (uni 6/0 works well). Tie in some fibers from a white and black jailhouse marabou feather for the tail.

Step 2: Tie in a clump of Olive Ice Dub and advance the thread forward a bit.

Step 3: Tie in a clump of Copper Ice Dub and again advance the thread forward.

Step 4: Tie in another clump of Olive Ice Dub

Step 5: Prepare a Jailhouse Marabou feather by stripping off the bottom half as shown. Tie in the feather by the tip in front of your last Ice Dub clump. Dub some Olive Ice Dub onto the thread and wrap almost to the front of the hook.

Step 6: Palmer the marabou feather forward through the Ice Dub. It helps to moisten the feathers.

Step 7: Tie in a generous amount of copper flashabou on the top of the fly and finish.

Capt. Matt Zudweg guides for Feenstra Guide Service on Michigan's Muskegon River and also owns BoneYard Fly Gear. www.boneyardflygear.com