Trout poppers

[pittendrigh]

I still wonder why so many fly anglers still use foam and yarn ball bobbers when nymph fishing, when you can just as easily use a foam salmon fly or foam hopper indicator..............that catches fish. Makes no sense at first glance. And at second and third glance even less sense.

OK. Some traditionalists won't use an indicator at all. I respect that attitude--although I obviously don't follow it. What I don't understand is using a pink foam bobber that does not include a hook, when you could just as easily use a fat unsinkable fly that (for me) almost always ends up catching the fish of the day.

In recent seasons I've been experimenting with ever bigger foam salmon flies, so I can fish them as a bobber for ever larger and heavier nymphs and streamers. How big is too big I began to wonder? I haven't found that answer yet.

I fished an un-named Montana river today, that still hasn't completely cleared up from spring runoff. At one point this morning I had a 2-1/2" long behemoth salmon fly in front of a long and heavily weighted black leech. And a 22" long hog fat hump shouldered mean-snouted brown took the salmon fly. Now that was a fish. He cleared the water three or four times before bulldogging down into the current, falling flat on his side like a splashing porpoise each time. I caught several other smaller fish on that fly too. The fish were on the bite today. At least until 2:00 this afternoon. And then it shut off like a light switch. But when the bite was on the giant dry fly was what they hit the most often. I caught one 15" brown that regurgitated a 4 inch leech in the net. But it was the almost three inch long salmon fly that got him to the net.

I'm going back out there again soon. And next time I'm going to fish some real bass poppers. Frog spots and all. There really is no difference between a popper and what I fished with so much success today. A made for bass popper will do just as well. I'm sure of it. And that's something you don't hear much about in the cold water context. I'm still smiling. What is a brown trout popper anyway? The (Big) Brown Bopper?

Real female salmon flies are about 1-7/8" long. The photo below is a foam salmon fly a tad less than two inches long. The fly I used today (that wacked'em big time) was bigger than natural. A good 2-1/2" long. This in a stretch of river that might have seen a smattering of flies two week ago. But no chance of one today. I've netted big browns on October on these flies too. They seldom catch the most fish (today was an odd exception). But they almost always catch the biggest one of the day.

[billhouk]

Two reasons I can think of not to use a fly and dropper; 1. it is not a traditional method (I know a "traditional cast" of flies may have up to five flies but, the Victorian era traditional method of a single fisher, single hook, single fish appeals to many of us.) 2. Multiple hook rigs are illegal in some locations.

Having said that, very nice fly! How about a materials list or step by step?

[AlanB]

Some years ago I took a friend fly fishing for the first time. At that time his situation wouldn't permit him to engage properly in the sport. Over the intervening years his situation has changed and he has come into the sport. For the last three years I've been fishing with him most weeks during the season. It has been an eye opener for me to see his development. He has none of the hangups I have gained over the years. He would fish your super large indicator fly without a second thought. And look at those who might shy away askance.

Recently he has discovered that a particular wet fly I tied works very well on larger hooks. Normally I would tie it on standard size 10 and 12 wet fly hooks. Now I'm having to tie them on Mustad R90s in size 6 for him, and thats only because the materials used will not tie a larger version.

The only reason I can see for using an indicator, rather than a fly like yours, is if the water had a single fly rule (which is not uncommon here). It is certainly what I do. Though "large" is a relative term. On the rivers I fish it is often a size 10 Humpy. Which is twice the size of most of the flies. That probably equates to your large salmon fly on your waters.
Cheers,
A.

[pittendrigh]

Bill Hauk asked for a materials list.
The body (on the fly above) is made from 2lbs per cubic foot closed cell EVA foam. Cut from a 1/4 inch thick slab of foam.
That foam is difficult to find. Some day I'll find a retail source. Trouble is I don't look for it much, because I still have a 5 lifetime supply. I originally boat a bunch of it for making boat seat cusions. It is far lighter than any foam sold in fly tying shops. You have to tie it on loosely with flat nylon (so it doesn't cut through the foam) and then finish up by gluing it as a last step. CA glue is the most convenient. Evazote (brand) foam is the closest thing. But Evazote is 4lbs per cubic foot--twice as dense. Twice as heavy. Ultra light foam really does make a huge difference.

Elk hair wing. Silcone rubberlegs. Orange thread. I tie the body on a horizontal #12 (ultra thin) beading needle. And then mount it on the hook.

[NJTroutbum]

In situations where I know it's going to be a "nymph day", and have no expectations of seeing anything on the surface I tend to focus on the task at hand. I will be constantly changing patterns and especially depths. In those cases, a Thing-a-ma-bobber that relocates easilly is the most functional for me. But I agree....why not fish a fly when it fits.

[JohnScott]

... on whether I can realistically expect to catch a good proportion of fishies on both the dry and the trailing wet / nymph.

If a fair proportion of the fish eat the dry, I'll stick with the combination. If not, I'll simplify things and go to a thingamabobber.

For the most part, on the waters I fish in this part of Montana and over in Northern Idaho, things are a bit more defined by time of year. During the winter, there is no probability that a fish will come up for a dry so it is all nymph fishing. From spring through fall, the dry fly fishing is so good it makes no sense to complicate things with a trailing fly.

John

P.S. I am curious whether anyone actually fishes for trout with bass poppers, and if so, under what conditions.

[Uncle Jesse]

If you want some of the foam: http://www.mcmaster.com/#eva-foam/=i36i7z

You may find it cheaper somewhere else but it's $5.64 for 1/4" in a 12 in. square.

[pittendrigh]

In situations where I know it's going to be a "nymph day", and have no expectations of seeing anything on the surface I tend to focus on the task at hand. I will be constantly changing patterns and especially depths. In those cases, a Thing-a-ma-bobber that relocates easilly is the most functional for me. But I agree....why not fish a fly when it fits.

OK. The "relocatable" part does make sense. Good sense. I admit. I am working on a relocatable bobber hopper. I posted about that a few months ago. I bought a bag of foam bobber pins. But I have not yet succeeded in finding the right sized tubing.

[ducksterman]

Bill Hauk asked for a materials list.
The body (on the fly above) is made from 2lbs per cubic foot closed cell EVA foam. Cut from a 1/4 inch thick slab of foam.
That foam is difficult to find. Some day I'll find a retail source. Trouble is I don't look for it much, because I still have a 5 lifetime supply. I originally boat a bunch of it for making boat seat cusions. It is far lighter than any foam sold in fly tying shops. You have to tie it on loosely with flat nylon (so it doesn't cut through the foam) and then finish up by gluing it as a last step. CA glue is the most convenient. Evazote (brand) foam is the closest thing. But Evazote is 4lbs per cubic foot--twice as dense. Twice as heavy. Ultra light foam really does make a huge difference.

Elk hair wing. Silcone rubberlegs. Orange thread. I tie the body on a horizontal #12 (ultra thin) beading needle. And then mount it on the hook.

I wonder if Fiskars ultra light kneeling cushion is the same kind of foam....available on Amazon and maybe Home Depot ...among others....?