Black Ghost Zonker Trout Fly Streamer with Cone

The Black Ghost was first tied in 1927 by Herbert Welch of Mooselookmeguntic from Maine. The original Black Ghost Trout flies is tied in the old Maine traditional style, often use  four saddle hackles back to back as a wing. Today you have many different variants of Black Ghost and the wing material can be marabou, feather, arctic runner hair, polar bear hair or anything else that can be used as a wing fly tying material as wing.

Black Ghost trout fly is possibly the most universal streamer that is in use. This trout fly can also be used when fishing for Atlantic Salmon, Landlocked Salmon, Steelhead and all species of trout.

The Black Ghost Zonker Cone Fly

In recent years the zonker variant of the Black Ghost fly has been coming more and more popular.  This pattern is good when fishing for Arctic Char and Sea Trout an Iceland, Canada, Russia and Mongolia.  Usually this fly pattern is fished deep with intermediate or sinking line or with a sinking tip on a floating line.  Black Ghost works in both rivers and lakes and should immitate a small baitfish.  Try to cast the fly close to banks and strip it as it was a small fish.  Strip it fast then slow and steady.  Then try again to strip it fast, pause and then do one quick strip.  Always try different types of stripping when fishing the black ghost zonker.

What Time of the day should you fish Black Ghost Zonker Cone fly

All - a good night fly and has been successful early spring and autumn.  When there is a bright moonlight this fly has been a killer fly pattern for us at PickAFly.

Black Ghost Zonker Cone has been expecially good early morning or late evening and also when there is a lot of snow on the banks of the river or lake.

Conditions to use Black Ghost Zonker Cone Fly

For us all conditions have been good but since this pattern is more popular in spring and autumn when water level is usually higher, this pattern his really good.

When we go fishing for trout, sea trout, salmon or any other fish we always carry few Black Ghost fly fishing flies with us. We have caught hundreds of fishes using flies fly and it a fly fishing fly that can be used in all condition and all seasons. 

Black Ghost Zonker Cone Fly History

Herbert Welch of Mooselookmeguntic from Main tied the original Black Ghost back in 1927.  When Zonker flies started to gain popularity this pattern was tied and became popular for sea trout.  Later it also came popular as a Arctic Char pattern but in smaller sizes.  Zonker flies was originally tied by an American Fly tier called Dan Byford back in the 1970´s.   He used a rabbit strips instead of bucktail which was the most popular wing material on streamer flies back then.

Black Ghost Zonker Fly Pattern Material:

Hook: Wet fly hook #2 - # 6
Weight: Cone (Silver, Brass, Gold)
Thread: Black 6/0 or 8/0
Tail: Yellow hackle fibers
Body: Black floss
Ribbing: Medium/large flat tinsel 
Palmer: Yellow hackle fibers
Wing: Rabbit fur Strip

How to fish the Black Ghost Zonker Cone Fly

Black Ghost trout fly should imitate a minnow  or other small fish. All flies fishing that imitate other small fishes should imitate them when fished. For this reason it should be worked in what might be described as dance time - slow, slow, quick-quick, slow!  Try to look into the river or lake and see small baitfish swim around and imitate them.  Remember that if you see a large trout chase your fly dont stop to strip because fish will swim away from other large fishes.  Dont let the fly towards the fish because its not the natural way that small fishes behave around bigger fish.  This will spook the fish away.  You need to imagine that the fly which imitates the fish is acting like it is constantly in danger. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that small fishes cannot swim against strong current.  Try to think that you are swimming away from a pretador so if its possible strip the fly down stream and towards the bank or other thing which is a shelter for small fishes.  That being said dont cast the streamer across or down stream.

This fly fishing fly has caught thousands of fish all over the world and has proven itself as one of the best trout flies streamers in the world today.  As professional guides we always carry more than a dozen of black ghost flies with us and in different sizes.