Booby

1. Trap the end of the thread beneath a few wraps behind the eye of the hook. Take a small square cut from an old stocking or pair of tights and a couple of polystyrene balls. Put the balls inside the mesh and secure them to the hook.

This fly is very popular with any number of anglers and, despite its name, for which I do apologise - it is a really effective little fly. You can tie it in pretty much any colour you like but my favourites are orange, green, sunburst yellow, pink, coral, black or white. The coral or white are particularly effective for brown trout, especially if tied with zonker or minkie fur instead of marabou.

2. Wrap down the rest of the shank and secure either a piece of zonker fur or section of marabou. (Add three or four strands of crystal flash if you like but this is not necessary.)

3. Catch on a piece of fritz and use it to tie a buggy style of body.

4. Catch the fritz behind the eyes and secure it in position. Tie off and apply a drop of varnish to the thread, making sure that you don't catch the polystyrene balls. (They melt with some brands,)

To fish the booby, there are several methods that you could try. However my favourite is to attach the fly to a short trace of fluorocarbon - probably about 18" (45 cms) long - and cast it out on a sinking line. Let it sink for about twenty seconds and then creep it along the bottom really, really slowly. Trout find it really hard to turn down this tempting little morsel!