Fly-fishing and tying has been a passion and a hobby of mine since I can remember, as I was raised in a family that loves the outdoors and flyfishing in remote places.
During the five years of competitive flyfishing, I have learned a tremendous amount of the art and sport we all so admire. 2019 and 2021 were my best years of competitive flyfishing as a junior angler and now I hope to start fishing in the senior league as soon as possible. As the years go by my passion and love for this marvellous art kept on growing.
I reside in a small town called Somerset West in the Western Cape, and I am currently a student at Stellenbosch studying B-com Marketing and management. In my spare time, I am just a typical student with long grown-out hair having the time of my life… I love to go out fishing with my fellow fly-buddies catching fish anywhere there is a sign of water that could hold fish.
The venues I visit most often and where the majority of my flyfishing takes place is at Lourensford wine estate, both streams and stillwater, Hermanus stillwaters in the Hemel and Aarde valley, Lakensvlei Dam located in the Ceres valley and of course the Cape Streams being the Elandspad, Smalblaar and Molenaars rivers.
This year I will be partnering with “Flies from Stellies”, engaging in guiding fellow anglers in and around the Western Cape, targeting trout in stillwaters as well as in our breath-taking Cape streams.
About the “Span Flex Booby”
To be honest (I have no idea if this fly exists or if someone has invented it already), the first time I tied this fly I was sitting at my desk playing around with some materials I recently bought. I have fished the famous “Gun fly” pattern in the streams and the span flex legs on that nymph just make the fish go crazy!
One of my favourite stillwater patterns in Cape stillwaters is olive or black booby’s. So, I decided why not incorporate some span flex legs in some of the booby patterns I normally tie for stillwaters?
I tied a few olive boobies with span flex legs and went fishing and was completely amazed at how the movement looked in the water and I absolutely hammered fish with this fly pattern!
The Span Flex Booby can be tied in many different colour combinations and sizes. This time of the year olive and a hint of black does the job for me.
I suggest you tie a few and try them for yourself. Fishing this fly at any Cape stillwater always gives positive results.
How to fish the “Span Flex Booby”
A booby is a very versatile pattern and can be fished at any retrieve and it still catches fish.
During the summer months, fishing slow and deep, using either a DI3 or DI5 line allowing the line sink down to the bottom, with 5 to 15 second strip pause.
Colder months when the fish are active and chasing, I prefer fishing this pattern with a DI3 or DI5 line with a 10 to 15-second count down (depending on the depth the fish are holding). One should experiment with a constant fast figure of eight retrieve or short fast strips, intermittently pausing. Very often, fish will take it during the pause! Fish will be chasing the booby for a distance and only take the fly at your feet or at the boat.
Materials used to tie the “Span Flex Booby”
Hook: Size 8 Hanak Stillwater & Wet (H 230 BL).
Thread: Semperfli 24/0 (Nano Silk 20D Professional Black).
Tail: Olive marabou.
Body: -Olive rabbit strips.
- Daddy long leg legs (Span flex legs).
Tying Steps
Step 1: Insert the hook in the vice and start wrapping thread from the front to the bend of the hook with even tight wraps.
Step 2: Take your green marabou and gather enough strands for the tail and tie it in at the bend of the hook. When using marabou for the tail remember less is always more! Also use the softer strands of the feather, this will contribute to maximum movement.
Step 3: Use bulldog clips and clip the rabbit strip hair. Enough to cover half of the shank of the hook.
Step 4: Split the thread and insert the rabbit strip hair and spin.
Step 5: Wrap the spun hair starting at the back of the hook to the middle of the shank. (Pull the hair back while making even tight wraps.)
Step 6: Tie a strand of span flex legs on either side of the hook shank to create 4 legs.
Step 7: Use bulldog clips and clip the rabbit strip hair. Enough to cover the rest of the shank of the hook. (But still remember to leave enough room for the black foam eyes.)
Step 8: Split the thread, insert the rabbit strip hair, and spin the tread.
Step 9: Wrap the thread with the spun rabbit strip fibre to the front of the hook shank leaving enough space for the foam eyes.
Step 10: Tie in black foam eyes to the front of the hook shank. Tie off with a whip finish.
Enjoy your fishing as this pattern will most certainly contribute to regular takes.
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