Hair Bassbugs are by far my favorite method for pursuing warm-water haunts. However, they are time consuming to tie (at least for me) and I abuse a fly fishing lily pads and brush-filled edges. So I want a basic popper that’s durable, easy to tie…and catches fish. Here is my favorite popper pattern and how I tie it. Mind you, I am no expert in spinning hair & my technique will win no awards any time soon. But my purpose is to show you that it isn’t as hard as it looks, and does not have to be fancy or complicated to catch fish. No special tools, no special glues or threads. Just your basic tools and materials. Don’t let them intimidate you…grab some hair and start spinning.
Note
No Fly Tyers were harmed in the making of this video
Recipe Hook:#2 Gamakatsu Stinger Thread: 6/0 Uni-thread Tailing: White Bucktail, neck Hackle Tip, Brown-barred Centipede Legs Body: Deer Body Hair
Ralph, I’m with you on tying flies to catch fish rather than trying to tie works of art like I used to do. I find that when spinning deer hair it is critical to get the right kind/quality of deer hair. My first attempts several years ago didn’t come out so well because I didn’t know that there was such a big difference in the quality of deer hair, so I started doing some research. Chris Helm sells some of the best deer hair for spinning bass bugs you can get and it’s well worth the money (IMHO). Also, depending on how tightly you pack the deer hair, makes the poppers behave very differently in the water. Super tightly packed deer hair popper/bugs float high in the water and don’t seem to move as much water when retrieved. More loosely packed bass bugs sit lower in the water and they tend to “surge” forward when retrieved rather than pop. I personally like to tie and make bugs that are not packed as tightly as some of the works-of-art you see in the magazines mainly because I find I catch more fish on them. That said, nicely tied bass bugs and have fun tricking some big old bucketmouth into slurping one in for dinner.
James, thanks much. Your thoughts on the packing of the deer hair is interesting and I’ve thought much the same thing. I have found very tightly packed bugs to be more durable, and obviously float higher, where a more loose packed or finger packed bug will sit lower and gather pond gunk much quicker. But especially in a diver trim, a loose packed bug does seems to swim much better when retrieved. Most noticeably when returning back to the surface. SO, maybe I’m not going completely crazy after all? LOL.
I’ve also heard that Chris Helm sells the best hair for spinning and that the type is important. I remember a lot of my early attempts were quite variable in how they looked and looking back I suspect much of that was due to my accidentally using good spinning hair or bad hair. I never knew there was a difference.
Yup, I love 'em too. Too bad they’re so danged messy to tie. Oh well…and I know all about the static debugging options and they’re still bloody messy imho.
Try here, I hope it’s current. Chris was THE NAME in hair and one fine guy in every respect. He went way overboard for me a number of times and helped a lot.
The fellow who taught me how to tie included spinning deer hair. Many a bass a few big browns succumbed to a frog we tied for years. Like many others the spinning became a task. When I started using foam I had spun my last. I can get the same bulk with the same flotation so much easier. I even replicated the frog that was so deadly when I lived in New England, and the bass here in KY have voted it one of their favorites also.
