[Sandy Nelson]

No, this is not a dig at the lethargic or the occupationally challenged

What i've been wondering is, what attributes to "THE BLOB" are the important ones?

Is it colour density? or perhaps the water disturbance, or is there something else

I can understand how they work when the trout are keyed into looking for daphnia, most flies with large hot spots will work as the fish plough through clouds of orange or green flees, they must appear to be a clump of super tasty morsels, watch a child with a bowl of sweets to see what gets eaten first
However in the depths of winter the water flea is hiding so what is it the trout are reacting too, when they hit the BLOB, is it memory, instinct, aggression, stupidity if so what do you think triggers it.?

I have an idea but i would like to see what everyone else thinks ???

Sandy

[ANDREW BEBBINGTON]

so want to say its a piece of cake

but i really dont know

[Mike Barrio]

Yes, not sure myself either. It is frequently said that they resemble a food pellet ......... but my experience tells me that they are just as likely to tempt a long term resident fish, so I don't think I would agree.

A water leech possibly?

Dunno ............

Cheers
Mike

[Sandy Nelson]

Andrew

 

I so hope that was meant to be as funny as i thought it was

Best one i've heard in ages

Sandy

[ANDREW BEBBINGTON]

Yeah
  could not resist it

andrew

[Sandy Nelson]

Magic

[Jim Doyle]

It could be as simple as that they can see the blob  with no effort.    The fish have limited choices when they see something, sight ,taste or vibration.   I think the blob is abit of cat and mouse to the trout, "whats that"? "I want it"  only way to stop it to find out what it is is to catch it in the mouth then analyse it, by then its too late.  I have noticed that you rarely catch the same fish twice on a blob, I think they learn.  Unless ofcourse they are hit on the head first   jim

[Ross]

Where's Kipps when you need him

[Rob Brownfield]

The "Blob" is remarkably similar to a method we use for winter carp, called the "Zig Rig". This involves casting out a very bright, fluro boillie or even a piece of yellow, white or orange rig foam, on a long leader so it susspends up off the bottom. Normally we try and get the bait to sit in the top third of the water.

Along comes mister Carp, sees this bright thing sitting at eye level and sees it as a very easy target.

Could the same be said about Mr. Trout? I am sure that its seen as "possible" food, and so the fish takes it, not necessarily to eat, but to just see what it is. We all know fish are curious wee beasties so the most natural thing for them to do is mouth something they think "might" be edible...and if it is, down it goes, if its not, its spat back out. I think the method works well in winter as there is not a lot of natural food about, so anything that looks interesting is taken, and whats more interesting in something big, bright and glowing sitting infront of your face?

Just a thought like!

[Irvine Ross]

Maybe the blob just uses a style of dressing that lure fishers are familiar with.  If the things that makes a blob work are its size and the trout's curiosity then, logically, any other type of fly dressing that creates a similar size should work equally well e.g. a heavily palmered #6 - 8 wet or a deer hair muddler, or a #8 salmon fly or a similarly sized pike or salt water fly.

Has anyone tried?

Irvine

[Rob Brownfield]

Irvine,
I have had a number of rainbows in the winter on very large Pike flies...4/0 through to 8/0s and normally on an Orange EP Fly, which is around 7 inches long, orange top, yellow lower, red highlight on the throat, and BIG eyes.

Here is one dressed in different colours, but you get an idea of the size and shape

[Jim Eddie]

Irvine

Yes I took my Saltwater fly rod up to Braeside to see how it cast , first cast with a 4" long sandeel type pattern it was hit by a Rainbow. So I agree with what has been said previously , if a blob or whatever is pulled past a Rainbow its either going to hit it out of curiosity or its a territorial thing.

 

Jim 

[Irvine Ross]

Rob/Jim

Some days I'm lucky if I catch a trout that's the size of your fly. . Nice tying 

If it's just a matter of size then that leaves room for all sorts of different styles to try, within the fishery rules of course. I wonder if a Templedog or a Deceiver could outfish a blob? How big a Templedog could you cast with a 5 weight?

On the other hand, if Jim Doyle is right and the fish soon learn to leave it alone, the effect would soon wear off so its not a method you could keep using with much success in the same fishery.

Irvine

[Jim Eddie]

Irvine

I should have said I was probaly a bit naughty trying out my new SWFF rod , but it was only a couple of casts and no fish were injured in the process  I would not reccomend fishing ecessively large flys for Rainbows.

I am equally happy catching 4" Brownies , probaly just as well as I can't seem to catch any bigger ones   

 

Jim

[the water buoys]

     Hi Lads 

                  I  Think it is simply curiosity, i used to think it was eggs been spewed out with Hen fish going through the motions of mating. Which will put the fish in to a bit of a feeding frenzie which i think still plays a part. The likes of pink,orange, sonic blue in the winter,lime,claret,red,yellow,white,can all be taken for daphina in  summer months along with the orange pink sonic blue.I have seen me casting a white zonker letting it sink while lighting a fag up, The line shooting out of my hand to me the fish has picked this up due to pure curiosity. I think that you willl find when the bows locked onto the natural insects they tend to avoid the bigger lures or blobs. But have seen the bigger bows getting caught fishiong the blob along the bottom very slow on a sinking line.

Henry
The Waterbuoys

[Mike Barrio]

Hi Henry

The white zonker falling through the water is easier to figure out .......... most lakes have ducks and swans which folk enjoy feeding with bread. Trout are well accustomed to taking these easy pickings as they fall through the water and will frequently take bread off the surface too.

Cheers
Mike

[the water buoys]

 
Hi Mike
          I have seen this done  for Bows  Mike and it was fishiery owener that put the bread in.

          This was the Q for to get somthing White on Disgusted Andrew and myself moved to the other side of the pond.Back to the Blob Think Rob is right what he says if they can not smell it they will take it to find out what it is curiosity. I think eggs still play apart in this , Where did the Blob originate from was it tyed to imatate a egg they were have the size they are today.

          Henry 

[Irvine Ross]

I would not recomend fishing excessively large flys for Rainbows.


Jim

Jim

Point taken. I was not thinking of very big flies and particularly not very large hooks.

I was just speculating that if it is only size that make a blob work then you could catch rainbows on a fly that is the size of a blob but in a pattern that is more pleasing to tie. Or at least more pleasing for me to tie. The hook you tie it on would have to be within the fishery rules so, for example, maybe a templedog on a small plastic tube with a single hook would work. If it didn't work then at least you would still have it in your box for salmon.

Cheers

Irvine

[Rob Brownfield]

maybe a templedog on a small plastic tube with a single hook would work. If it didn't work then at least you would still have it in your box for salmon.

Oh, it would work!!!!

Sorry if I offend anyone, but Rainbows, especially at this time of year, are not the gentle, dellicate mythical beasts that gently sip in tiny Caenis, bearly making a ripple..... they are infact highly effictive predators capable of taking VERY large items if they want. We have taken them, with regularity, on whole mackeral, whole sardines (a favourite rainbow bait of mine), large lures when trolling for Pike and Ferox (10" plus plugs), jerk baits, soft plastics, huge flies, and in days gone by before I stopped using livebaits, live 6 -8oz rainbows!! (ps. Livebaiting is banned in scotland now, and i support this).

On a Pike day on Menteith two weekends ago, there were 11 rainbows landed and safely returned by the lure guys. The rules state lures must be 8" and above..so it gives you an idea of the vorocity of which the Bows were feeding.

On the day, rainbows will not shy away from very large flies indeed