Boobies And Blobs

[Neil Waugh]

Anyone fish these things. I know that Don Andersen took a liking to Boobies (not those boobies, you filthy beast) a few years back. But Blobs are a new one on me. Here's Alistair Robertson's piece from last Saturday's Scotsmen about the controversy that's burning across the Pond.

 

Shooting & Fishing

 

 

Published Date: 14 June 2008

By ALASTAIR ROBERTSON

Why I have blob lures in my fly box

DONCHA just love 'em; the Blob Yobs, the ill-bred proles who win all the angling competitions, ripping an unseemly lump of furry fibre through the water. The fish go wild for them while the gentlemanly fly fisher can only mutter darkly: "Things comin

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g to a pretty pass, country going to the dogs and the government doing nothing about it."

 

The blob has been around for a few years. But it is only recently that it has become the subject of verbal fisticuffs in the generally amiable world of angling. Or, more particularly, the world of competition angling where teams and individuals compete for the largest fish, the greatest number of fish and a whole host of competitive subdivisions – best fish under three pounds with dorsal fin no greater than 2.5cm. And so on.

 

In days gone by everyone, even in the fly fishing competition world, not surprisingly, used flies, or at least flies that looked passably like the insects fish will snap at.

 

Being able to design and tie a fly like the ones you see on the water and then catch a fish with it is all part of the art and mystery of fishing.

 

So, for many years, while everyone was busily tying and trying different flies, the playing field – or at least the surface of the pond, reservoir or loch – was level.

 

Until one day a competition fisherman, Bob McLinden, a Scot from Coventry, invented the blob completely by mistake. He had tied a fat, furry, yellow fly with wings, but the wings came off when he was casting and suddenly the trout started going for the wingless blob. Word went around the competition world and the seriously competitive soon latched on. Cast it out, then retrieve it quickly through the water and the fish will throw themselves at it.

 

The Blob Yobs, as users have come to be christened, have now been more or less accused of cheating – a member of the English fly fishing team has resigned in disgust, amid calls for a total blob ban in all competitions.

 

The blob is not really a fly, after all. It is a ... blob. But cast like a fly. It's an easy way of catching fish without the benefit of much skill.

 

To which, the uninformed bystander might reasonably ask, what is so wrong with that? And the answer is, absolutely nothing unless you don't like losing.

 

The fact is that if you are going to have competitions to see who can catch the biggest and most then, as in any competitive sport from football to motor racing, there will always be those looking for an edge; permanently pushing at the limits of the rules.

 

That is what competition with prize money is all about. Competition fishing is all about winning. So if you want to compete there is no point in crying foul when someone is smart or unscrupulous enough to give you a thrashing within the rules.

 

If you don't like blobs then don't get involved with competitive fishing. Fishing for pleasure and fishing for money are two different things. This does not, of course, mean that I am not going to stock up with as many blobs as I can decently fit in a fly box without being accused of fish mongering. Only as a little experiment, you understand. For, truth be told, it is nice to catch trout, but if you start hauling them out like mackerel the thrill is soon over. There is no more point to it than there is to shooting low pheasants.

[nebc]

DONCHA just love 'em; the Blob Yobs, the ill-bred proles who win all the angling competitions, ripping an unseemly lump of furry fibre through the water. The fish go wild for them while the gentlemanly fly fisher can only mutter darkly: "Things coming to a pretty pass, country going to the dogs and the government doing nothing about it."

 

The blob has been around for a few years. But it is only recently that it has become the subject of verbal fisticuffs in the generally amiable world of angling. Or, more particularly, the world of competition angling where teams and individuals compete for the largest fish, the greatest number of fish and a whole host of competitive subdivisions – best fish under three pounds with dorsal fin no greater than 2.5cm. And so on.

 

Why don't you post some photos of this blob/fly/orwhatitis so we an all decide for ourselves....like if it catches fish....

[bloom]

I've had boobies in my box for over 5 years, and can count the number of fish on one hand that I've caught with them. Now I can't really blame the fly that much either as I rarely use them. I've just never seen them outfish anything else I'm using, and I'm also more into the indicator fishing the last few years. (the only time I have seen boobies to be really effective is in those BC lakes with marl bottoms where you just cast it out with a high D line, and then give it a twitch when a fish cruises by)

 

Seen the blob around the net, but have yet to tie one up and fish it...again, would have to take that damn bobber off my line to give it a shot and I'm just too lazy

[Weedy1]

Why don't you post some photos of this blob/fly/orwhatitis so we an all decide for ourselves....like if it catches fish....

 

search google search google search google search google search google search google

 

http://www.sportfish.co.uk/products/3224/Blobs.html

http://www.tackleshop.co.uk/ProductsList/m...%20-%20Blobs/v/

 

Video:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/teleg...ctid=1580383911

[Tungsten]

i tie my damsels with big green foam eyes,fish with full sink line ,always catch something. its not my #1 goto fly but it does have its time and place.worth having a few in the box. i've never tryed the blob, looks like a bunch of marabo and if thats the case, then i have some in my box. just didnt know the name. anybody know what materal is used for the BLOB

[ladystrange]

here's another site for you to try. http://ukflytying.proboards100.com/index.cgi? a few of them over the pond post in the fly tying bench as well. i'm sure there are a few patterns of boobies around. anyway, they are a great group of people and can give you lots of info on fishing boobies and blobs.