The Fly
The Booby is a style of fly rather than a specific pattern. They can be tied in any size you wish. My most consistent sizes would be an overall fly length of ½-2 inches in length, generally tied on size 8-12 2xl nymph or standard wet fly hooks. Bottom dwelling dragonfly nymphs are obvious choices for Booby style flies, and so are baitfish patterns. The Cruncher Booby is essentially a soft hackle version of the Pheasant Tail and is suggestive of smaller insects, such as mayfly nymphs or swimming caddis pupa. You can even fish them in the surface film, suggesting a chironomid emerger.
Boobies are tailor made for shock and awe, and some pretty outrageous colour combinations have proven to be effective. Chartreuse and fluorescent orange Booby Blobs called the Tequila Booby have saved the day many times, despite the fact they look, well, awful. Other bold colour combos include white/orange, chartreuse/black, pink/yellow, and black and red.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with some of your favourite patterns by adding a set of foam eyes to them, every once in a while a leap of faith really pays off.