Overview

The Double Gonga is Charlie Craven's articulated streamer, which started as a cross between a Matuka and a Woolly Bugger. It is tied on a pair of 3XL #4 hooks with a dense marabou tail and a full wrap of schlappen for profile and movement.

The head is soft craft fur or Polar Fibre, trimmed to shape. Craven skipped deer hair because it floats too much, so this head sinks readily and sheds water on the backcast. Lead eyes on the underside make it ride hook point down. Umpqua sums it up well: giant, yet easy to cast.

How to Fish It

• Rip and strip: fast, aggressive strips trigger reaction strikes from big trout.
• Dead drift and pulse: drift it through deep runs and add rod-tip pulses now and then.
• Sink-tip: use a sink-tip to get it down in deep water or high flows.
• Heavy tippet: 0X to 2X to turn it over and handle big fish.

Choosing Color and Size

Tan Yellow in 4 x 4 is a natural, sculpin-like color with a touch of brightness. It is a strong choice in clear to slightly stained water and when brown trout are hunting along the bottom.