The booby, like many flies, comes from Great Britain, where it is widely used to fish the water. Its name may lead to a smile, since boobs means "breasts" in English. The particularity of this fly is indeed to have two eyes mounted with floating materials and a marabou tail. Two big prominent globular eyes that make the fly recognizable among thousands, and that allow specific animations.
Animation of the booby: a knitting fly with a plunging silk
It is with plunging lures (or even intermediate ones) that the fishing is practiced for these streamers, for example by associating 2 boobies which will thus evolve at 2 different water heights. The association between these dense lures and the floating boobies allows you to efficiently prospect the water columns according to the animations printed on the set. Once the rig is propelled to the desired distance, the imitations are let down thanks to the density of the line which brings the rig towards the bottom.
When stopped, the boobies are slightly lifted from the bottom, depending on the length of the leader made. As soon as the angler starts to "knit" the line to animate the flies, they go back down under the effect of the traction, then go back up slowly at each pose.
It is finally a question of varying your retrieves to find the one that will decide the fish on the day. By understanding how deep the fish are, it will be possible to make a few catches.
The importance of timing your shots
It is often during the breaks that the touches intervene. It is always necessary to keep the line and the leader taut, otherwise you will not detect the attacks and you may hurt the fish. The streamer is indeed sometimes forbidden on certain bodies of water, the trout having a tendency to bait it deeply when the fisherman does not feel the touch or strikes too late.
A Booby associated with other flies
It is also possible to associate a booby that will be placed in a point with other flies mounted on a stem, for example nymphs or chiros. On some educated fish, at the end of the winter season or in windy conditions, a single (small) booby is also very effective. It is sometimes only a change of color proposed to the trout that will make the difference.
A rather easy to assemble fly, to be declined endlessly
On a size 10 hook with a short shank, we start by attaching a cylinder of synthetic foam. Then, a marabou tail is placed at the bend. There are many ways to mount your boobies. For the body, you can for example use caterpillars, or marabout circled with silver tinsel.
These flies are available in different colors, to adapt to the fishing conditions and find the color that will make the fish react: black, white, orange, pink, olive green...
Do not reserve the Booby for the tank only
Note that the booby is not only effective in reservoirs: wild trout are not reluctant to attack this strange imitation on first category water bodies either.
If this streamer is obviously not designed to evolve in the currents, it is not forbidden to make it swim on the calm portions of second category rivers, it is not only the rainbow which succumbs to its swimming. Chub, black bass, perch for example respond well to the demands of the boobies.
