Martyn White | Thursday, 5 February 2026
A lot of people don’t like blobs, some will say they’re not flies or that using them is somehow not fly fishing. I don’t have these hang-ups and don’t draw some imaginary and wholly arbitrary boundaries about what is and isn’t a fly. I’d even go as far as to say I like blobs.
I definitely have a bit of a utilitarian streak in my tying, sure I sometimes add stuff to flies that probably doesn’t matter to the fish just because I think it looks good, but by and large I want my flies to be quick and easy ties that work, ideally with materials that are readily available and of consistent quality. The blob checks all of these boxes. There’s no arguing with how effective they are at catching freshly stocked trout, and contrary to what luddites will often tell you, they are incredibly effective for wild trout too; A fish that will eat an orange muddler whipped back on a slime line or Di3 will absolutely eat an orange blob being whipped back on a slime line or Di3. Perhaps the animosity from the purists is really down to them knowing that in their heart of hearts, who knows? While they’re obviously not imitative, they can be very good on daphnia feeders or fish that are eating eggs.
Blobs are versatile too, make them buoyant by adding foam or tying them on a lighter hook and impregnating them with mucilin, weight them with brass or tungsten beads or just tie them plain. They’ll all work for trout, a great many will work for other species too. A pink blob with few millimetres of tungsten can be just the ticket for winter grayIing-especially in dirty water. I love a blob for winter carp, tied with translucent fritz they are like glo-bugs but can often be better because they want to sink which makes the drag & drop easier to judge without having to mess around waiting for the fly to become saturated. I love a blob for spring barbel, especially when they’re hanging out below a pod of spawning carp or redfin. Although I’ve never tested it, I reckon a foam arsed job in the right size/colour would worth a shot for something like sooty grunter eating figs falling from a tree.
I’ll insult you by giving you a material list here:
Hook: Comp heavyweight 10/Short shank special 8
Thread: 140 den to match or contrast
Body: 15mm cactus chenille in one, 2 or 3 colours.
Optional additions:
Booby eyes, foam cylinder “arse”,
Brass/tungsten bead
A marabou or floss tail
I will admit they’re a bit nasty, but they’re no less nasty than many other things that seem far more accepted. Certainly, a lot of traditional wet flies are no closer to imitating an actual foodstuff than a blob.