Mango

A zonker of warmth

By Kasper Mühlbach

	Mango fruits  Kasper Mühlbach

The Mickey Finn is often one of the first streamers, beginning fly tiers learn to tie. For some reason, I have never used it. I prefer zonkers or palmer hackled flies along with shrimp imitations.

So for years a yellow and orange fly has been missing in my fly box.
Last year I found materials, which inspired me to tie a replacement for The Mickey Finn. It stayed in my box for severeal weeks. I took a picture, uploaded it to our local site and named it The Modern Mickey Finn Zonker... probably a result of being less creative that day.
But when my girlfriend got a look at it, she exclaimed: It looks like a mango. Bingo! The Mango was a reality.

It is just a zonker and nothing particular. I like the colours and I like the two-coloured zonker strip.

I think it will be good for winter trout and in those waters where orange is a killer colour. Perch also like orange and so does cod (they seem to like any colour).

If you also like it, you should tie some following this recipe:

Mango

1. Mix a tail from yellow and orange hackle fibres. Tie them in just above the hook bend.
2. Tie in the yarn and turn it over the shank to form a nice tapered under body.
3. Let the tube slide down the shank. Secure it just above the hook bend. Make 1-2 mm of the tube stand out from the secure point.
4. Tie in the zonker strip. Let 1-2 mm stand out from the secure point. Avoid trapping the hair.
5. Whipfinish.
6. Tie down the tupe at the head.
7. Tie down the zonker strip at the head. Make sure to stretch it, as it gets sloppy when wet.
8. Tie in a bunch of orange hackle fibres as a false hackle.
9. Form a nice little head and whipfinish.

Materials  Kasper Mühlbach

Step 1  Kasper Mühlbach	Step 2  Kasper Mühlbach

Step 3  Kasper Mühlbach	Step 4  Kasper Mühlbach

Step 5  Kasper Mühlbach	Step 6  Kasper Mühlbach

Step 7  Kasper Mühlbach	Step 8  Kasper Mühlbach

3 winter flies  Kasper Mühlbach