Before my question, let me say that the size #12 Gurgle Pop is absolutely my favorite fly for brim and small bass. I use and give away a couple of hundred during the warm weather months. I like the way the GP sits low in the water and entices even reluctant fish to strike. My one problem occurs when I’ve fished a GP for 10-12 minutes, caught a couple fish and the the GP has been pulled under by the legs many times; the Gurgle Pop sinks or stays down under the water and doesn’t come when it gets jerked down by a leg. I would like to make my small GPs (size #12) more buoyant. I already use a quarter inch plus strip of foam, a dry fly hook (Mustad 94840 or 94845).
My question is this, what is the most buoyant, water resistant material you can thing of to form the tail and dub the bellies of these size #12 gurgle pops. BTW, increasing the size of the foam strip seems impractical because larger strips don’t seem to tie down well. What do you think about Polar Fibre as a tail material and dubbing for the body? Much thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have. 8T
I use the GP a lot also and after a while they don’t float quite as well. I don’t dub any kind of body. I just tie in the maraboo tail kind of short and tie in the body foam clear up where I tie in the legs then tie it in tight back to the hook bend then pull it forward and tie off normally and add the legs. Another thing that helps is to clean it off and squeeze the water out with your fingers every once in a while. You can also just change them out and let them dry and they are as good as new.
My favorite size is 8, and it is that size that I used in the step-bystep instructions and photos. I have never had that size sink. I have one that I keep meaning to photo that is quite chewed up and caught something like 30 bluegills. It would catch more but I was afraid to loose it G.
Here are two ideas that might help get better float:
It helps not to pull the foam too tight over the back. If you pull tight it not only compressing the foam shellback but also compresses the foam segments under the shellback.
experiment with larger “lips”. At the very least that will keep the head up and will definitely keep the G-P visible to you.
I have no trouble at all with the #8s or even the #10s. The #12s, on the other hand, get pulled down 12-24 inches and stay at that depth after a relatively short period of fishing. If I wanted to achieve neutral buoyancy, I couldn’t do a better job.
I will definitely loosen up on the back a little and see if that helps
Jkilroy, I may flexcoat a couple of GPs and see if they float better. You haven’t tried that yourself, have you?
Buddy and Bowmaker, I try to keep my GP clean and dry. They don’t seem to acquire much slime and I pinch them between the folds of my flannel shirt to dry them but it seems that once they’re wet and down, they stay down. I like the idea of a quick dip in dry fly floatant. I also like the idea of a deer hair tail.
BTW, I’ve actually caught over 70 brim on a single GP but I can’t photograph the fly because I was trying to hit 100+ and lost the fly in the mid seventies. Actually I think that I’m lost in the mid seventies.
Any other suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I’m getting ready to tie five or six dozen size #12 gurgle pops in yellow, white, dark green, and chartreuse. 8T
If you’re using the craft store foam, it will absorb water. If I’m not sealing it with a varnish/flexible epoxy(poppers, sliders), then I treat it with Water Shed or similar product.
Something else to consider that I’ve seen with smaller foam flies it that if you have a sinking leader, it can pull the fly down. Switch to a more buoyant material, don’t let it settle as long, clean off the crud…
Gurglepops!! and you say the Brits have strange names for flies. I have either of two pictures in mind when I see that name, (1) a fizzy drink of revolting colour for juvenile delight, or (2) grandpa at New Year.
I used it on some 3/0 pike gurgler’s. I didn’t field test it yet. It takes more flex coat that the ez poppers to look right. Probably because the other foam is closed cell.
I have to admit that fishing flies world-wide do have some pretty strange names. But in this case the name makes some sense, Because of their prominent front lips, Gurgle Pops do push a lot of water when they are retrieved and more or less gurgle as they go along. You guessed it, a harder pull will make them pop loudly. Check them out in the Fly of the Week Archives, in 2003. Great fly but a bad drink! 8T
DavidinMD, I use to do a lot of fishing your neck of the woods. Went to school on the Eastern Shore and fished fresh and salt all the time. I don’t think that I’m sinking the GPs with the leader. I use only the finest Stren four-pound spinning line for a tippet. My best guess so far is that the foam is taking on water. The size #12 GP rides low to start with so there isn’t a lot of margin for error as there is with the larger sizes.
Jkil, my only concern is that the smaller GPs will absorb so much flex coat that it will sink right off the bat :shock:. 8T
I’vebeen doing it on all my foam flies for so long that I sometimes forget how much they will ‘sink’ without it.
The ‘craft foam’ is a closed cell foam, but the matrix is a it loose, and they can take on some water over time. The stuff is cheap, and made cheaply, so we shouldn’t be surprised.
While the ‘coatings’, like Hansens, epoxy, clear acrylic, etc., can ‘seal’ the foam, they also add weight. For little gurglers like yours, I’d avoid that.
The waterproofer I use comes in an aerosol can from Wally World in the camping section. It’s a silicone waterproofer for shoes and clothing. It’s inexpensive and works better on foam than the Watershed or fly fishiing ‘specific’ products. It’s permanent, and I’ve never needed more than one ‘dunk’ to keep a bait wateproof for it’s lifetime.
If your getting 10-12 minutes and a couple of fish on the fly before it starts to not float the way you would like I would not alter the fly in any way. Tie on a new one and let that fly dry before using again. It sounds like you carry more then enough to do this, and it only takes a few seconds.
Buddy, that’s the idea that I’ve been waiting for. YES! I think silicone will shed water without added weight—it should be just the ticket! I feel like I just got the secret for turning lead into gold . Buddy, you wouldn’t know anything about turning…never mind :lol: .
Ray, I see your point and it would be stupid to do something that would mess up the basic GP—you’re right. On the other hand, if there is something simple like silicone water shed, that allows me more fishing time, I’ll go for it. BWT, I do carry enough GPs to change them out regularly and there’s always more in the trunk of the car. 8T
Make sure your tying your gurglers on the lightest
wire hooks you have. I use the Mustad Aberdeen wire
hooks on mine and have not experienced the problem
with them sinking. Warm regards, Jim
I don’t think I’ve ever tied one smaller than a ten. A couple of things I’ve done to make them float better is using yarn for the tail. I also don’t dub the body. After I tie the foam in, I palmer the end of the foam forward to the eyes. This gives it a foam body that seems to ride a little higher.
Jim, I’m using a standard 1X Fine Dry Fly hook. I’ve got some 3x fines from Mustad but they’re a little on the delicate side for brim. I know the 3x hooks would float better, but I believe the brim would turn the hooks into barbed straight pins in no time.
Rocks, I’ve never tied GPs that way but it might be worth a try. The FOTW instructions mentioned tying
GPs in size 12, 8, 4. I just like the 12s, their smallest suggested size.
Warmwater, My wife just got me a Nikon Coolpix but I’ve got a lot to learn before I can post a good picture. My GPs look pretty much like the pictures in the FOTW instructions. Same proportion of hook and body. BTW those extra thumbs really get in the way when it comes to typing.
Once again, thanks so much for your suggestions and help. 8T
