This is an SBS of Craig Riendeau’s Sonic Boom Fly by Kendall Osborn.
Got some fishing pals who love rattle flies. Toss up to me. But, the folks at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) have hooked an electrode to the ear nerve of some inshore game fish…and the little rattles some are so fond of got no response. VIMS says the fish cannot hear small rattles. BUT…VIMS says they CAN hear the bigger “clacking” rattles of BB size and larger, such as those found in some plugs.
So, time to toss the little rattles and make a big fish big rattle fly. Perhaps called the sonic boom!
Compare the rattles…..See the little one normally used?
Use heat shrink to attach the large rattle to the shank. This is pre-shrink….
After shrink it looks like this. You can add some glue and finish it better….This rattle will NOT come off!
Add some feathers….
Stack bucktail hollow-fleye style and finish it off. You get a big deceiver-style fly that makes a lot of noise. You can hear this fly across the room, even if you are deaf like me. Might be too loud and will scare the fish? This is on a 5/0 Gamma hook.
Yes a lot of work. Not an every day fly. But for a special fish that won’t eat anything else.
