Booby

The Booby is one of the most effective stillwater trout flies ever devised. Made popular by British angler Gordon Fraser in the 1980s, it uses a pair of buoyant foam “eyes” at the head and a soft marabou tail. On a sinking line the line sits on the bottom while the fly floats up above it, so you can fish slowly right where trout feed without snagging.

Each pull of the line draws the fly down and the marabou tail pulses; on the pause the foam eyes lift it back up. This bobbing, wriggling movement is what makes the Booby so deadly, especially in winter and early spring on lakes and reservoirs when trout are holding deep.

Available in two proven colours:

• Yellow: yellow foam eyes, golden-yellow marabou tail and a fluorescent chartreuse collar — a high-visibility option for coloured water and stocked rainbows.
• Black: black marabou tail with green flash and orange foam eyes — a strong silhouette for clear water and dull days.

How to fish it

• Line: use a fast-sinking line or shooting head with a short leader, so the fly hovers just above the bottom.
• Sink first: let the line settle to the bottom before you start the retrieve.
• Retrieve: short pulls with pauses, letting the fly rise between pulls. Slow is usually best.
• Shallower water: on a floating or intermediate line with a longer leader, it can be fished as a bobbing fly near the surface.

Typical materials

• Hook: Wet fly / lure hook
• Tail: Marabou, with flash on the black version
• Body/collar: Fritz / cactus chenille
• Eyes: Foam booby eyes

Hand-tied and quality-checked. Sold by the dozen; samples available on request.