Zonkers

Zonkers ain't hard. My variation ---
 
I begin by clipping off a Zonker strip, with thanks to Br'er Rabbit. I do 1 1/2" - 2" for a #8 hook. (Sometimes I use a 4X hook, sometimes a 6X. The 6X is purtier, I think.) Remember that fur will extend past the hide portion of the strip on the finished fly, so 1 1'2 - 2 isn't too short imho. Make it longer, if you like. You can always trim.
 
To cut a Zonker strip DO NOT cut through fur. Cut carefully from the hide side with a single edge blade or Exacto knife. Then strip away the fur from a teeny bit of the head of the strip. Then use the blade to trim the bald tip to a point. (This tip will be the fly head, and the bald portion will offer a place for the thread to bite into the leather.)
 
After wrappoing the base layer of thread, I tie in about 6" of very thin wire protuding over the hook bend. (This will later reinforce the Zonker strip).
 
Then I part the fur (a little tricky -- the part is the point that permits the Zonker tip to reach just behind the hook eye, and the Zonker tail to dangle swimmingly over the hook bend.) and tie on the Zonker strip at the rear just above the hook barb.
 
Muy Importante: When you tie on the Zonker strip, you only need five turns. After the first turn, succeeding turns should go back with the flow of the fur. If you go forward, the Zonker will have a cowlick at this tie-in point. After you've tied down the Zonker strip at the rear. take a couple turns around the hook and under the strip to wedge the strip in place. This will help keep the strip from spinning around your hook.
 
Next tie in chenille at the rear, jamming it as close to the strip tie in point as you can. This also keeps the strrip from slipping. Bring the thread forward. Wind the chenille body and tie off at the head position.
 
Bring the Zonker strip forward. I've been known to catch the tip with a small pair of needle nose pliers to stretch it as I put a couple turns of thread around at head position. Tie down the head. The Zonker strip should be nice and taut.
 
Wind the wire forward counterclockwise. About six turns should do it. Take a bodkin and use it to clear a path through the Zonker strip as you wind the thin wire forward. You can also pick the fur out after winding the wire, but the former method gives a better result, I think.
 
Form a head. Reinforce with a coat or two of Sally Hansen.
 
You're good to go.
 
The advantage of my approach, and using chenille rather than tubing, is durability. And I never have to tie off the thread and restart the fly. And chenille offers a wide color selection. And chenille provides indents to bring the reinforcing wire through.
 
Watch your proportions.

Most of my Zonkers are white/white or black/black. I've also used a chartreuse rabbit strip which doesn't seem better or worse than W/W or B/B. The W/W might be a good choice for someone who's handy with a Magic Marker.
 
Another thought if you use my method (i.e., chenille body) -- when you tie the rabbit strip in its position back above the hook barb, be sure you're tieing it in on a thread base. Your biggest problem at this stage of the fly is getting the strip in position and preventing the rabbit strip from slipping. Tieing the strip on a thread base rather than a bare hook will help.
 
The traditional mylar tube Zonker body makes a nice looking fly, but is just too time consuming and prone to damage by fish fangs imho. Tiers who use the mylar generally have to tie up the bodies separately, nail polish them and wait for them to dry before appling the rabbit strip. Fine. I just hate to wait a/o dither.
 
Zonker Hooks -- Another nice Zonker hook is the Mustad 4X with a straight eye. 
 
 

I find white zonkers slay em on the Elk.