Zak Nymph – Best Fly Fishing Flies

The Zak Nymph is another brilliant invention from the South African fly fishing legend, Tom Sutcliffe. The fly gets it’s name from a man (Who sadly passed away in April 2015) by the name of Mzelwa Gwala, who’s nickname was Zak. Mzelwa Gwala was a very knowledgeable man who lived in the KwaZulu Natal midlands, and he was a good friend to Tom Sutcliffe, and Zak called him Dokitela. They knew each other for well over 40 years.

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Type Of Fly?

  • Nymph
  • Dark Mayfly
  • Match The Hatch

When To Use?

  • All Year

Where To Use?

  • Rivers
  • Streams
  • Dams
  • Lakes

Colour Variations?

  • Black

Tom Sutcliffe originally tied this nymph pattern to target the large and hungry Trout that called the large and deep dams in the KwaZulu Natal midlands home. The Zak was tied to imitate a dark coloured mayfly and the key to this fly’s success is the “bugginess” and durability of the fly. The fly has a lot of shine and hackle which gets the Trout’s attention immediately and because of how closely it imitates the Baetis mayflies, is almost irresistible to the fish. Tom Sutcliffe fished this nymph with great success in the Dargle area, where Zak looked after a few farm houses, and he decided to name it after the caretaker who did so much for the people visiting the area.

Species That Can Be Caught On This Fly?

  • Trout
  • Yellowfish
  • Mudfish
  • Moggel
  • Bass
  • Barbel
  • Carp
  • Sawfin
  • Whitefish
  • Blue Kurper
  • Cape Kurper
  • Vlei Kurper

The Best Flies To Use

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