I was at my local fly tying store last weekend and noticed that they had something new, Wapsi Preformed Popper Bodies. I got the size 4 ones, and a box of matching hooks (based on the recommendations from the phamphlet with the popper bodies). They are white in color and apparently can be painted with model car paint. Has anyone used these before, they look like they would meet the needs of the bass population here. I do have a couple questions,1) Do you use just acrylic plasic model paint? 2) What colors are effective? 3) After painting, do you coat them with something like Sally’s Hard as Nails? 4) if you have any pictures of the ones you make I would like to see them.
These are a new venture for me, I usually tie Atlantic Salmon flies, but the bass population were alot of fun last summer.
I use an assortment of 2, 8, 10, 12s. I use a paint from the hobby shop. It is an enamel for a little harder finish. I also like to put rubber legs on mine, sometimes a tail. The legs actually seem to be a stimulator for the bass especially on a pause and retrieve. I usually get the hits on the paues, legs are still moving slightly. I have found three colors to be very effective, chartruse, yellow and white.
I used to use these extensively, in one respect it’s great not having to shape bodies, but in another respect, they’re kind of putzy with all of the painting.
As for paint, I primarily used the Testor’s model paint and found a couple coats to be very durable on it’s own. I have red, white and green on hand and have even mixed from time to time. Either the classic red/white combo you see on plugs or a frog imitation is a good way to go.
Just for you I looked to see if there were any left that were worth taking pics of. nothing so far!
Lately I’ve just cut soft foam bodies since I’d rather tie flies than paint. That’s just me being lazy though, I guess.
-Erik
Yeah, I also use to use alot of those and still tie up some bass poppers and sliders.
The paint I use is a simple bottle of craft paint in the craft section of Wal Mart; sells for about 70 cents a bottle qith alot of different colors. I usually try to get the acrylic enamel, apply two coats if needed, then I use 5 minute expoxy. I fished with one in Canada last summer and caught probably 50 fish or more on one and it still looks as good as it did when I made it with the exception of one. small hole from a Pile tooth.
The pattern I tied was colored a darker green with yellow dots; eyes were white with a red center, yellow barred hen hackle, yellow fiber tail with flash, and 4 yellow legs on each side tied in at base of popper.
Sorry, I don’t have pictures.
Are they the ones like these? You can “dremel” the face a bit to make more noise if desired.
…lee s.
These are not painted. They have mylar tube over’em and epoxied after adding the eyes and “gills”.
[This message has been edited by lee s (edited 17 March 2006).]
I prefer the cheap walmart paints as well. Apple barn, delta and so forth. I’ve used just about every paint there is on my poppers and the water based acrylics are my favorite for a few reasons. The main one is that I like to either airbrush or hand paint details after the color coat and when you apply the sally hansen or most other clear coats, the enamels tend to run, water base won’t. My usual routine is a base coat of artists gesso, two dips in my color of choice, then the details, (eyes, scales etc) then the top coat. I have to admit though, I much prefer cork and carving balsa to foam. LOL don’t know why. Below is a link to a page of my poppers if you’d like to see the results I get from my methods. Hope this helps. [url=http://home.earthlink.net/~slusk/mypoppers/id1.html:0b974]http://home.earthlink.net/~slusk/mypoppers/id1.html[/url:0b974]
