FLY BOX: Flugenzombie

January 7, 2021 Larkin Wilson

Intro

If streamers were different cuts of steak, the Flugenzombie would be a big, juicy porterhouse. With a big water-pushing head and a mountain of marabou, this bulky streamer was created to be a big fish hunter. As you’ll read in its creator’s (Cheech Pierce) description of the fly, the Flugenzombie was designed to appeal to the predatory instincts of trout - with the goal of inducing a reactionary strike, as opposed to a calculated decision on behalf of the trout.

Returning to the analogy at the beginning of this article: the porterhouse is going to have a higher caloric value than a little ribeye. So if you’re hungry and both of those steaks are in front of you, which one would you go after? The one that fits your appetite, obviously.

This sums up the appeal of the Flugenzombie. It’s the ultimate macho meal for a beefy trout (or pike, bass, etc.) looking to chow down and pack on calories.

IMAGE: Weekender Media

Fish? They are a bit different. They don't have the highly developed taste buds that Curtis has, so they eat more like me... If it's of caloric value, it's going down the hatch. Before I start getting hate mail about all of the picky 20 inchers that you fish for that only eat a properly presented baetis pattern with two tails and a body made from dubbing color 38923-A presented on 7x tippet, I do understand that lot of fish are picky eaters... It's just that we shouldn't lose the mindset that fish are searching for calories, and many times a pattern that is "close enough" will do the trick. Now that I got that little rant out of my scattered brain I can tell you about the Flugenzombie. The name is more of a joke than anything, but this fly was rumored to have eaten the Cheech Leech, The Complex Twist Bugger, and the Lunch Lady to morph into a mashup of all three. I use the body and tail from the Complex Twist, I use a collar of marabou and silicone legs from the Cheech Leech, and I use a Lunch Lady head. The Flugenzombie is a takeoff of other patterns that were already not an exact copy of anything that lives in the water. All I know is that the fish either love this style and want to eat it, or they hate it and they want to kill it. To accomplish either of these ends it will need to be in the mouth of the fish at some point. Win win.

Clark 'Cheech' Pierce, Fly Fish Food

IMAGE: Fulling Mill (Cali 420)

Applications

CATEGORY: Streamer

TARGET SPECIES: Trout, Bass, Pike, & Tiger Muskie

The Flugenzombie is a load. As far as trout streamers go, this thing is an absolute unit. Flugenzombies are similar in length to Sex Dungeons, but the latter is far more meaty. While it’s far from a giant muskie streamer, the Flugenzombie is easily on the larger side of the spectrum when it comes to trout streamers.

Because of its size, the Flugenzombie does not have the same versatility as more compact patterns like a Baby Gonga or a Swim Coach. That said, the Flugenzombie can work wonders when used at the right time.

By “the right time” I mean the key feeding windows in which large, predatory trout drop their guard in search of a hearty meal. Here are a couple of scenarios in which the Flugenzombie put in serious work for our team:

IMAGE: Weekender Media

STILLWATER: ICE-OFF / ICE ON

In many western states, lakes above a certain elevation will freeze for the winter and then thaw in the spring. During the winter months, the trout are trapped under a layer of ice. Not that they would be going anywhere if the ice wasn’t there… But regardless, food sources are scare during the coldest parts of the year. The trout know it. They can feel it coming.

The two primetimes for lakes like these are in the spring, when the ice melts; and during the fall, when the lakes begin to freeze over. During these 1-2 month windows, trout are looking to pack on calories to fatten up. Because the Flugenzombie is such a hearty-looking meal, fish will be all over this thing.

IMAGE: Weekender Media

RIVERS: PRE-SPAWN

Tread lightly here, friends. No one wants to be the person that targets spawning trout on their redds!

That said, the Flugenzombie is a great streamer to use during the late summer/early fall months when the brown trout start getting restless - especially in freestone rivers. It fishes well out of a boat, but it can also be an all-star fly for those wading. Because of this streamer’s dynamic movement, it can be swung effectively single hand spey-style with your trout setup and a floating line.

Just find a stretch of river with a promising run around 60 degrees downstream from you. Make a cast at the opposite bank, smacking the streamer as close to dry land as you can. Make a quick strip and then make a downstream mend while keeping your line tight. Let the streamer continue to swing until it is directly downstream from you. Then give it a few quick strips, take a few steps downstream, and repeat.

With any luck, the erratic movement off the bank and fleeing motion of your fly will attract the attention of a hungry trout hunkered down near by. If not, the weight of the Flugenzombie will push it down into the slots off the riverbanks when you swing it downstream: this is where the BIG fish hang out!

VIDEO: Fly Fish Food

About the Tyer

Clark ‘Cheech’ Pierce, Fly Fish Food / Fulling Mill

Clark (Cheech) originally from Vernal, UT is relatively famous from his days as a steer wrestler in Elko Nevada. He ties a few flies now and again when he's not busy modeling plus size clothing. He has tied for many years, and got his start in fly design with Rainy's flies, where he created the Cheech Leech, Grumpy Frumpy, and other effective patterns. He is now an innovator for Fulling Mill, and many of his fly patterns are available through them. His most notable accomplishment in fly tying is that he once tied 65 San Juan worms in 20 minutes, and eating a Big Mac in 4 bites.

(via FlyFishFood.com)

VIDEO: Davis James | Anglers All

Material List - Flugenzombie (Cali 420)

HOOK #1: Daiichi 2461 (#1)
HOOK #2: Gamakatsu B10S (#1)
EYES: Ballzeyes (Large Red Anodized)
THREAD: Danville 140 (Red)
TAIL #1 & COLLAR #1: Nature's Spirit Prime Long Marabou (Dark Olive)
TAIL #2 & COLLAR #2: Nature's Spirit Prime Long Marabou (Claret)
BODY #1: Schlappen (Olive)
BODY #2: Schlappen (Black)
BODY #3: Senyo's Aqua Veil Chenille (Chocolate Covered Cherry)
FLASH: Flashabou (Red)
CONNECTION #1: Articulation Wire
CONNECTION #2: Articulation Bead (Ruby Red)
LEGS: Silicone Streamer Legs (Chrome Watermelon)
HEAD: Bruiser Blend Jr. (Cali 420)