Poppers for Bass

I fish for bass a lot and will be fishing for them with a fly rod more now...Can anyone send me patterns for foam poppers and a materials list.

There are lots of ways to tie poppers from Deerhair to hard bodied poppers. I suggest that you go to the FEATURES section and do a search on Dremel Bugs. You will find an article by a man named Jim Hatch. Jim goes into great detail explaining how he uses his dremel and a large needle to make the body of a pattern he calls the Jelly bean. I now use a dremel to make 90% of my poppers/sliders etc. It takes me about 30 seconds to shape the body and you can use whichever materials you want for tail etc. It's more of a technique than a pattern and you will be limited only by your imagination.

Jim Smith

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flyt...082205fotw.php Here it is. I was looking for it even as James Smith was posting.

Im sure there are other sites that cover this but, you can buy cork bodies for poppers or make them out of wine corks. or you can carve them out of balsa wood etc.

If you google "making popper flies" you will come up with many sites.

But I have to agree that the dremel bugs have to be the easiest least expensive version of a popper that I can think of. and the fish like them.



Eric

Hi Raiderhunter,

I use the foam from flipflops. Some use a cut off rifle cartridge or a handgun cartridge, sharpening the edge, I usually use a laboratory cork borer simply because I have access to one, and it works great.

The best way to attach it to the hook, that I have found, it to start with spiral wrapping the hook from front to back (leave plenty of space between the wraps) with very coarse thread, and then back to the front and whip finish. Next cut a slot in the foam from front to back, about as deep as you want the hook to set in the foam.

Coat the threaded hook shank with gel type super glue, pinch the foam popper on the opposite side to open up the slot and set it on the hook. Pinch the foam down over the hook shank and hold it closed for a little bit. When you let it go, it will be firmly attached to the hook. (Be sure to keep a bit of thin plastic bag between your fingers and the foam when you pinch the foam shut over the hook so that your fingers don't get glued too.)

From that point, you can tie on feathers behind the body, or do what ever other finishing steps is desired.

Regards,

Gandolf

Hello Raiderhunter,

Try the Texas Bullfrog here:

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flyt...061603fotw.php

You can buy the foam cylinders for the Texas BullFrog at:

http://www.stoneriveroutfitters.com/, 1-800-331-8558

Size 2/0 3/4" foam M06238
Size 2 1/2" foam M06325
Size 6 3/8" foam M06326
Size 10 1/4" foam M06324
Size 14 3/16" foam M06323

I get the doll eyes at Michael's or any arts and crafts place:

Size 2/0 18mm doll eyes
Size 2 12mm doll eyes
Size 6 7mm doll eyes
Size 10 5mm doll eyes
Size 14 4mm doll eyes

Cheers,

Richard in Plano, TX

Turn em around for a Greeat slider also!!!!

http://www.blueridgetu.org/Meeting%2...on%2011_07.pdf


BP

What wt line are you using? I think I have a box full of them that I don't use, could send you a couple but they are a bit big and bulky for a 7wt or so...let me know. Btw some sell you the whole set of hooks and bodies, I think Sportman's warehouse has foam bodies, you can always get a copper tube from your local hobby store and cut your own foam bodies...a whole world of possibilities.

I approach dremel poppers pretty much bassackwards from other folks.
I find the result is excellent.
See http://www.flytyingforum.com/pattern6910.html

search some of the following

http://www.google.com/search?q=poppe...ient=firefox-a

My dremel set up is much more basic; cordless B&D rotary tool (2 speed) w/ a adjustable chuck, which is a great accessory. You can use any diameter shaft from a needle to 1/8"; L-bracket straightened (smallest diameter long wood screw I could find) and emery board.

I use the steel shaft from an automatic umbrellas as a cutter, you can make it long enought to hold several bodies at time and then push them out with a solid shaft. I also have a large diameter plug cutter I fabricated from a piece of thin wall conduit, wood core and 1/4" bolt. Rotary plug cutter work much better than any punches to which I have had access. I have cutters from approx. 1/16" to >1/2" made from biospy needles, ball point pen refills (brass variety), spokes from wheelcovers, umbrella shafts; metal pen cases. If it's round, metal and will fit in a drill it has potential.

Best thick closed cell foam (nothing else is close really) is sold in squares 5/8" thick at softtiles.com.
Best punches are hollow punches from harborfreight.com with 9 sizes for $6.
You can super glue layers of thick foam or foam sheets (best prices are at Hobby Lobby) and make permanent color combinations.
Please see the info I put on the foam plug thread.