Basswood Popper

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

I received permission to post these videos from the originator and I hope you like them as much as I do!

Poppers

For a while now I have had an interest in making bass poppers. I had been collecting the necessary parts to make them, so I decided to document my efforts either good or bad in the following tutorial. As I went along on the build process, I quickly learned that certain steps should have been done prior to proceeding to the next step. 

So, let's start this tutorial.

Mustad CK52S Size 4 hook covered with thread to give the crazy glue a better surface to cling to and for a slightly tighter fit on the popper body slot.

I took a Wapsi brand hard foam popper body and sanded the bottom to be flatter than the original rounded shape and sanded all of the mold lines off that remains from the molding process. I use a standard flat file for the operation. Sanding off the mold lines is probably not necessary but if you decide to do it you will have a smoother end product. Apply your favorite brand of crazy/super glue to the thread covered hook shank and position the popper body to your liking.

Tying Tip: Now is a good time to decide if you want rubber legs coming out of the popper body. Drilling the hole NOW will make things easier later on in the build process such as not damaging your paint job. Its your choice.

Time to paint the popper. I used acrylic paints from Michaels Craft Store and some cheap throw away brushes.  Use your choice of colors.

Tying Note: In order to speed up the drying of the paint, I used a portable hair dryer on a low setting. Worked great.

Now it's time to paint the eyes. For this popper it was a 3-step process.  For step 1 I used a 1/4 diameter nylon screw for the first part of the eye and black paint. I also have a Wasatch Eye Painting Tool set that I used for the next 2 steps.

Step 2 of the eye painting process.

And finally the last step.

Tying Tip: If you want a black eye with a white pupil or a white eye with a black pupil, then just stop there. Use your imagination when painting eyes.

Top View

Painting the rest of the body is entirely up to use. This popper is rather simple (it's only the 2nd one i made). You can go from mild to wild.

Bottom View

Side View

Remember that hole? Should have drilled it earlier but it came out all right.

Bottom View 

Now its time to protect your paint job. After letting the paint completely dry, I used Diamond Hard UV Cured Resin. What you use is strictly up to you. 2 part epoxy is another choice and its cheaper.

Top view

Side View

I chose 1 strand of orange and 1 strand of chartreuse for the rubber legs and threaded them through the drilled hole in the popper body. The rubber legs are held in by a drop of the Diamond Hard on each side.

All finished. 

I used some congo hair, northern lights tinsel, orange and black hackle.

As always, thanks for looking.

Forming Good Habits

Remove all fly-fishing manufactures decals from your vehicle. You’re asking for trouble. Some thieves are not as dumb as you think and know exactly what to go after.

Carry that 4-piece rod in its rod tube when bushwhacking and your chance of losing or breaking a piece is greatly diminished.

Have a set of dry clothes. You won’t be sorry.

Use a waterproof camera, not your expensive DSLR. You can bring both but only use the waterproof one near water. Today’s newer point & shoots take excellent photos

Don’t forget to pack your waders, boots rods, reels etc. It’s disheartening to drive xxx miles and when you get to your destination they are NOT in the car.

Break down your outfit and put it INSIDE the car BEFORE changing out of your boots and waders or driving away to go home. You will be glad you did and so will we.

DO NOT put your rod & reel outfit on top of the car or lean it up against the nearest tree. You are asking for trouble. You will forget where you put it. When you realize it’s not where it should be and you return to the place where you put, it will be gone!

Pack out what you pack in

I'm diabetic and always carry something sweet just in case. Always carry a bottle of water and a snack on you. You never know when you might just want to keep finding out what’s around the next bend. The water and snack will make the hike back to car much easier.

Respect someone else's ideas. We are all different people. Your way is not the only way.

Use a wading staff and a wading belt. Either one or both may save your life.

Always wear a Personal Floating Device (PFD) or some kind of inflatable device when on the water. OK, so you think you'll look silly, or you are a big macho man who doesn't need one, but it beats lying in a casket the rest of your life! Your family will be glad you did.

Put your cigar/cigarette butts in a zip lock baggie in your vest pocket instead of throwing them in the water. Same thing for your mono/leaders etc.

Carry a small garbage bag and do a little stream clean up. It won’t hurt you to pick up some discarded waste. Some of it just may be your own.

Have respect for other people. Yes, they may be fishing your sacred spot but so what! Sometimes fishing a new spot reaps great rewards.

Practice good etiquette. If you don't like someone doing something to you, then don't do something to them.

If you are landing them one after another and someone asks you what fly you're using, offer 1-2 flies to them so they can have the same experience. Will it really kill you if you were nice to someone?

Help out a struggling newcomer to the sport of fly fishing. I'm sure somebody helped you out in your endeavor into fly fishing.

If you wear a neck lanyard, make sure it has a breakaway feature. Choking is not fun.

Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle. What you have in it is up to you.

Take a kid fishing.

Keep the adult beverages for the end of the day when its relaxation time.

A good knife just might get you out of a bad situation (I don't mean with people). Also don’t forget a small pair of scissors.

If there is a lot walking to be done before you reach the water, pack your waders and where your hiking boots for the hike. Better to put the wear on the soles of your hiking boots then your waders’ soles. Your hiking boots will give you maximum comfort and support also.

Avoid wild roses bushes and other thorn bushes. It might seem like the long way around and easier to just wiggle through the bushes, but the long way is better than damaging your waders, especial on fishing trips or in the winter.

Clean your fly line. It truly does make a difference.

Place all your mono and fluorocarbon tags and other waste piece in a pocket to dispose of properly. Even the smallest tag.

Have stream etiquette, everyone is out to have the best time, and experiences they can, not just you.

Always look around you and observe your surroundings before you cast.

Add a whistle or micro air horn to your vest or pack pocket for signaling emergencies

Carry some bear spray if you're going to be in bear country

Carry some bug spray with you

Check yourself for ticks especially when you're in wooded areas

Leave those bird feathers on the ground. They're most likely illegal anyways

Mash down hook barbs. You'll be glad you did to prevent an emergency room visit to have it removed from wherever it stuck on you

Beware of the poisons - Ivy, Oak and Sumac

T.D.C Nymph

T.D.C. Nymph

Thompson's Delectable Chironomid

Hook - Your favorite hook and style

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Oval/round silver tinsel

Body - Black wool yarn

Collar - White ostrich herl

The TDC (Thompson's Delectable Chironomid) was developed by Richard B. Thompson in the late 1950's. Richard was a Fishery Biologist for the State of Washington. Prior to this fly, Chironomid fishing within lakes was just not done. Richard developed techniques with this fly, such as utilizing an indicator for depth control and fishing the pattern off the bottom of the lake with a slow retrieve. He wrote an article , "Chironomids and Trout" that was published within the State of Washington's Game Bulletin describing his TDC fly. Many tried using the Chironomid pattern but failed, due to their habit of using a fast retireve. However, by the early 1960's, his techniques caught on with other lake fly fishermen and a number of other Chironomid patterns were developed. His TDC pattern, using a dubbed body, remains highly effective and is the basis for many new variations.

Reference - Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Hellekson

Adjustable Balloon Strike Indicator

Fly Box Inventory, Sorting & Cleaning

These are the trout boxes. 

Bass & panfish boxes will be taken care of over the Christmas Holiday work shutdown.

Since I have a 4 days off from designing submarines, I thought I would take out a few fly boxes and inspect them for rusted flies, flies coming apart from trout teeth etc and just do some basic resorting of the dry boxes.

Lady McConnell

Lady McConnell

Originator - Brian Chan

Hook - 2xl dry fly hook

Thread - Black

Shuck - Grizzly hackle tip

Shellback - Deer hair

Body - Gray dubbing

Hackle - Grizzly

A Brian Chan designed pattern for McConnell Lake in the Kamloops area of Canada.

Heathen

Heathen

Originator - Phil Camera

Hook - Your favorite curved hook

Thread - Black

Under body - Pearl krystal flash or tinsel

Over body - Larva Lace or equivalent

Ribbing - Spiral black thread forward

Post - White foam cylinder

Thorax - Hares ear dubbing

Tying Tip

Vary the thread, tinsel and tubing colors to make variations of this fly. 

This fly can also be tied with v-rib, d-rib, body glass etc. 

Chota Hippies

Sometimes that's all you need!

Chota Hippies

http://chotaoutdoorgear.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=119

Blackburn Tellico Nymph

BLACKBURN TELLICO NYMPH

Hook - Mustad 9671, 9672 or equivalent, size 6-12

Thread - Brown
Tail - Mink fibers or brown hackle fibers
Ribbing - 2 strands of peacock herl twisted into a rope around a fine gold wire
Wing Case* - Dark Brown turkey feather section
Body - Dirty golden-yellow dubbing
Hackle - Palmered through front half of body

This pattern was originated by Richard Blackburn of Tennessee to imitate the Golden Stonefly Nymphs that are common in the fast rocky streams of the Smokies.


Reference Information
http://www.uky.edu/~agrdanny/flyfish/ljdecuir/tellico.htm


* There is a lot of breakable fibers on the wing case, 

so a ribbing of wire or thread should be added for durability.

Cheater Soft Hackle

Can't find the right length feather for that soft hackle you're tying?

Try the following technique shown in this video.

Check out here for additional info.

http://paracaddis.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/cheater-soft-hackles/

Humpback Warrior

Humpback Warrior

Here is a variation of Lance Egans "Rainbow Warrior"

The recipe is exactly the same as a "Rainbow Warrior" except the bead is a "fringe bead" in a pearl color.

Charlie Craven Parachute Adams (Biot Body)

Here is Charlie Craven tying a variation of a parachute Adams. In this video he explains quite a few techniques that will help a beginner and an experienced tyer.

Enjoy!

The Craft Shop

Always have a look in your local big box craft shop, home center, department store or dollar store. You can find some interesting fly tying materials that you wont usually find in a fly shop. Feathers, foam, beads, wire, organza, ribbons, tinsels, paints, markers, storage boxes, threads, metallic threads, yarns etc.

But by all means, support your local fly shop if you have one nearby.

Once again, thanks for looking.

Cutting Wire

Lets be real about this, we are not cutting a #2 gauge 100 amp service panel electrical wire with our fly tying scissors, we are cutting a soft copper wire that begins at approximately .003 thousandths of an inch to about .013 thousandths of an inch in diameter.

But this will most likely spark some controversy, I still cut ribbing wire with my more than capable Dr Slick tying scissors. The scissors below are over 10 years old and are showing their age. The fancy gold finish around the finger holes is wearing off. They have never been sharpened since the day I brought them home. But they still cut everything I need them to cut without any problems. I think they are tougher than most tyers want to believe. They can cut wire as long as you cut it in the right place. If you cut your wire close to the pivot point, the rest of the blade will remain sharp to cut the remainder of your fly tying materials.

You can grab that tag end of the wire and twirl it around like a helicopter rotor until it breaks of clean as a whistle! You can use finger and toe nail clippers. You can also dedicate a cheaper brand of scissors to do all of your wire cutting

Lead wire doesn't even need to be cut at all with scissors, just break it off with your thumbnail.

So what I'm really trying to say is yes you can cut wire with your scissors, just cut it in the right place!

Lets remember that this is just my opinion and yours will always be different!

As always, thanks for looking!

Multiple Function Materials

As you can see in the mylar piping material shown above, there is multiple uses for it. You can remove the core from the piping and use and use the piping for bait-fish bodies, you can use the antron/zlon type strands of the core for wings, wing posts, bodies, legs etc and you can even unbraid the piping and use each strand as mylar tinsel.

The mylar piping shown above is a chartreuse color and size large but I have found this type of piping with the antron/zlon type core material in other colors including silver, gold, pearl and even holographic.

As always, thanks for looking!

Glo Bugs - The Simple & Easy Way

Craft PomPoms

Your favorite curved hook

Your favorite brand of glue

A fly box full of Glo Bugs

Just stab a craft pompom onto the curved hook, apply some super glue to the hook and push the pompom into the glue. Its as easy as that!

Broken Thread

You tied that perfect fly body and you just broke the thread?

Don't despair! It happens all the time.

Take your hackle pliers and attach it to the broken end of the thread. Reattach your tying thread and wrap over the broken end and you're ready to continue tying the rest of the fly.

Cap That Bottle

Cap that head cement bottle after each use. You'll be glad you did!

A simple fix.

Magnets

Keep some sort of telescoping magnet tool around your tying area to pick up those stray hooks that land on the floor. Trust me, you will drop hooks or your vise will spit one out.

You can also use business card sized magnetic sheet to stick on your tying bench or pedestal. Its a great place to hold hooks for the flies you are tying at the moment.

Even magnetic tape will work as pointed out in the comment below by Johnny Utah

Thanks for looking!