This is a great little fly mainly designed to chase RedFish in Texas. I suppose it’s a caricature of a crab or prawn or maybe a small fat minnow – who knows!!

I tied this fly originally for fishing for Flathead in and around the drains of Pumistone Passage. It was so successful I started using it everywhere and have had a staggering number of fish scoff it like a kid eating lollies. My best capture on this fly was a permit up at Cape York. I think you’ll find most fish will find this fly irresistible.

Step 1

Tie a bed of thread on the entire shank going slightly around the bend.
Cut a piece of Silver Mylar tube about 1½ hook lengths.
Tie in at the rear tie in point and then advance thread forward to a point about two hook eyes back from the eye of the hook.



Step 2

Insert a plastic Rattle into the mylar tube and tie off about two hook eyes back from the eye of the hook.
Whip Finish.

Step 3

Epoxy the Mylar Body and the red thread wraps, use plenty of epoxy so the Mylar tube is full of epoxy.
Rotate the fly to make the epoxy smooth and even so as to make a balanced fly.

Step 4

Change to black flat waxed nylon.
Tie in behind the eye of the hook a small bunch of White Bucktail followed by six strands of Glow in the dark Sparkleflash.
Follow this with another small clump of Chartuese Bucktail.
Then followed by three strands of Black Sparkleflash.
Use the flat waxed nylon to create a nice shaped head and whip finish.

Step 5

Add stick on eyes – Chartreuse / Black #2.
The best way I’ve been shown to attach stick on eyes and get a nice round head is to secure the eyes on with mono thread. The thread will disappear when the epoxy is applied.
Epoxy the head of the fly.

There you have it - a Caves Rattle Rouser!
A great little fly that can be tied in a myiad of different colours.

My favourites are pearl/grey, orange/gold, red/black and of course black/gold/purple.

You can fish this fly on any style of fly line, but if you want to fish it deep you will need to add a weighted keel to it or the air in the rattle will roll the fly on it’s side. I do like to trim this fly so it’s a little unstable as this makes the fly wobble a bit after the strip. Fish find this irresistable.

One of my favourite Barramundi flies for fishing in the shallow drains is the gold/orange style and Mangrove Jacks just love it in red/black.

With this style of fly I always use a sharp, erratic strip so the rattle is always working. You know what they say: if you’ve got one - use it. Make that rattle work. This is also a very good dirty water or night time fly.
So get in a tie a bunch.

Gavin