Foam popper

[CoachBob]

Some helpful hints after making several thousand poppers:
http://www.flytyingforum.com/pattern6910.html
(1) look at the pattern at the site shown above
(2) note that MAJOR improvements have been made in the technique since then, but the basics are the same. What follows are some of those improvements.
(3) use a heated bobbin to create a hole in your foam head to insert the hook. Depending on the size of the hook eye, you may have to wiggle the bobbin a little while it is in the foam to create a bigger hole
(4) Using a large eyed sewing needle (canvas needle) insert the legs through the head at the level of the hole you created with the bobbin. The advantage here is when you use CA glue to put the head on the hook you will also be glueing the legs in place from the inside.
(5) I've got a couple of articles on this site about superglueing foam you might want to look at.
(6) Always use a long shank hook. The thickness of the foam can substantially reduce the hook gap once you have assembled the fly, especially if the foam is near the hook point.
(7) The order of addition of materials to the hook should be: mono for weed guard (if you want to have one) then other tail materials.
( Make sure you have a base of thread on the hook shank before glueing the head on. I use almost exclusively flat waxed nylon.
(9) 3D eyes or something Michael's carries (on occasion) called Botique Fleur black mini round gems work better for eyes than stick on tinsel eyes
(10) Make sure legs are not so long that they will get crossed with the bend of the hook. Rubber legs are very fond of doing this.
(11) Rubber and silicone legs act entirely differently in the water and give a popper a very different action.
(12) "Fine" rubber legs (usually get mine from jannsnetcraft.com) are excellent for small poppers and hoppers etc.

If you have any questons, just PM me and I probably have an answer, although maybe not the one you want.

[CoachBob]

A 1/2" popper head is a pretty big head. My saltwater heads are 7/16" up to 3/4" and the larger ones I shape entirely by hand using the method in the link I posted above. 1/2" will do well for all warm water applications (except maybe muskie).
Note, after drilling out the head, you still want to smooth and shape with the dremmel.
I use a knitting needle I've ground to a point and stick it in the foam then use that to hold the foam while I turn it against the dremmel bit.

[Buddy Sanders]

Like CoachBob I've made thousands of foam popper bodies.

I use the puncehs from Harbor Freight. I didn't get the ones with the nice 1/4 inch drill insert in them, so I had a friend machine them down to fit my 1/2 inch drill press. The largest size, the one that makes 1/2 inch 'blanks' is plenty big for bass/pike/inshore saltwater stuff.

I turn mine on the dremel with the needle set up CoachBob showed us all several (many?) years ago. I have 'altered' mine to include a base plate with small pins to insure against 'spinning' on the mandrel.

There are places online that sell drill mounted punches and mandrels designed for this application. You can get the plugcutters in larger diameters there. They are not expensive, if you plan to make a bunch of poppers, but I haven't bought them simply because the method I use works just fine and I have little need for larger diameter foam baits. Once I get past 1/2 inch, I go to balsa bodies turned on a wood lathe. Primarily because they are lighter.

Something CoachBob didn't mention is cutting the popper body flat on the bottom. I just take a razor blade and slice it after it's been glued in place, the smooth with a sanding drum in a dremel. I do this with almost all of my baits larger than 3/8 inch diameter. Clears the hook gape a bit which aids in hooking percentages. You don't have to use as long a shank hook then.

Buddy

[Chuck S]

Every once in a long while you'll turn to one of the several forums you peruse and find a discussion such as this! What great ideas and almost everyone adds something of note! Sure appreciate this as I've spun deer hair, punched out a few, bought a lot of the foam and hard bodies and even have the Harbor Freight punch set that doesn't use a drill. Now just need to get the stuff out and start putting all this into DIY action! This thread is better than the old Popular Mechanics Magazine that was filled with dozens of DIY tips.

[CoachBob]

Except for the frog with cat eyes (from Michaels) this will let you see what the round mini head gems look like on a fly.
popper#2.jpgPopper #3.jpg

[Buddy Sanders]

CoachBob,

Did you pick up those 'gems' recently? I can't tell from the picture so I'll ask. Are they translucent or solid black plastic?

Thanks,

Buddy

[CoachBob]

Got'em about six months ago at Michaels. Solid plastic. They're called "recollections boutique fleur mini round gems" which brings up Michael's on Google but going there doesn't show the mini round gems. Sorry.

[Bear742]

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalog...q=hollow+punch
Harbro Freight is your answer. This set is $6 and fits any standard electric drill. Much neater than doing it by hand, which I suffered with for years.

Oops, the price is up to $10 but that is still a good deal. I often say that I would hate like the dickens to be a fly shop operator with all the "alternative" materials out there. Thanks for putting this up; my old punches are getting worn.

[CoachBob]

One more suggestion.
Harbor Freight has "needle" files http://www.harborfreight.com/catalog.../result?q=file that are $4.99 for a set, out of which you will only use two for foam flies.
I use two of the others for hook sharpeners. The handle choice is personal preference.

As mentioned earlier, I prefer the hot bobbin method to make a hole in the foam, BUT, you don't have to use a bobbin at all or can use the needle file to enlarge the hole. This is particularly helpful when you have added a lot of tail materials and make a significant increase in shaft size after youve added flash, and bucktail and maribou and hackle and rubber legs, etc. etc. The needle file can increase the hole size at the back of the hook while leaving the hole small at the hook eye.

[RHenn]

I don't use the bobbin method for mounting the body to the hook, I use a razor to cut a slit in the foam and glue the body to the hook. I also wrap the thread to the rear of the body to give it more durability. Also, I wrap the shank of the hook with thread to give the glue something to bond to besides bare metal.