Something different

[onceahoosier 0]

Have some time off for the holidays so I tried something different (for me). I like to tie deer hair bugs, but after seeing all the great poppers many of you tie, I picked up some balsa wood at a hobby store, ordered some popper paint, and gave it a try myself. I really liked it, but wow, it took a lot of work! I have a whole pack of balsa, but I only worked with one small piece that made 8 poppers, a few of them shown here. I'll do more, but may take a break now and get back to deer hair bugs and trout flies.

 

Tom

 

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Great job! Your first one!? You do know Santa gives coal to tiers that fib.

 

The tails are well tied and proportioned, the head is well proportioned for the hook and placed properly for maximum hook-up, and the paint job is nicely done.

 

Kirk

[Stippled Popper 0]

Kirk is correct. Those two are very nice indeed.

 

It makes me what to search for some of your deer hair ties.

[BigDaddyHub 0]

Absolutely great poppers......can you add them to the database? I'd be much obliged.

[Bryan Wright 0]

So for poppers you want a very full tail like that? I am asking because I really don't know. I would have messed them up and made the tail much more sparse.

[perchjerker 0]

Bryan:

 

The tails are perfect, IMHO. They will look entirely different when wet, and you want them to resemble the legs on a frog. The choice of materials is excellent; they will impart a lot of movement when on the water, which is what you want.

 

Should you decide to trash them, I know where there is a very large trash can!

 

perchjerker

[balsa fly rod lures 0]

Have some time off for the holidays so I tried something different (for me). I like to tie deer hair bugs, but after seeing all the great poppers many of you tie, I picked up some balsa wood at a hobby store, ordered some popper paint, and gave it a try myself. I really liked it, but wow, it took a lot of work! I have a whole pack of balsa, but I only worked with one small piece that made 8 poppers, a few of them shown here. I'll do more, but may take a break now and get back to deer hair bugs and trout flies.

 

Tom

 

 

 

Very nice work.Balsa unlike other hard body material will absorb water, when this happens the wood will swell.leading to a ruined popper. If I want rubber on a lure,I tie it on behind the body or use a different body material.I have different ideas of what a popper or other balsa lures represents.Bait fish are what I'm going to catch more fish on.The more material you attach to the fly the more wind resistant it will become. If I want a big fly,I'd rather go for lenght than bulk.

Keep up the good work, will wait to see more.You've done a nice job on the shape of the bodies.What hooks did you use?

 

Charlie

[onceahoosier 0]

Have some time off for the holidays so I tried something different (for me). I like to tie deer hair bugs, but after seeing all the great poppers many of you tie, I picked up some balsa wood at a hobby store, ordered some popper paint, and gave it a try myself. I really liked it, but wow, it took a lot of work! I have a whole pack of balsa, but I only worked with one small piece that made 8 poppers, a few of them shown here. I'll do more, but may take a break now and get back to deer hair bugs and trout flies.

 

Tom

 

 

 

Very nice work.Balsa unlike other hard body material will absorb water, when this happens the wood will swell.leading to a ruined popper. If I want rubber on a lure,I tie it on behind the body or use a different body material.I have different ideas of what a popper or other balsa lures represents.Bait fish are what I'm going to catch more fish on.The more material you attach to the fly the more wind resistant it will become. If I want a big fly,I'd rather go for lenght than bulk.

Keep up the good work, will wait to see more.You've done a nice job on the shape of the bodies.What hooks did you use?

 

Charlie

 

 

These are tied on standard bass bug hooks, Mustad 3366; the frog pattern is tied on a 1/0, the other on a #1. I tied on a piece of the hook gaurd (20# Mason hard nylon) on top of the hook shank and epoxied it in place to try to stop the body from rotating around the hook. As far as the rubber legs, I did wonder about water getting into the body and if it would damage the fly. I drilled a 1/16" hole and pulled four strands of medium round rubber through and its a pretty tight squeeze. I think they may act like a rubber gasket and at least limit the water getting inside. I also added a drop of flexament to the legs, stretched them to narrow their diameter, and pulled them into the body to hold them in place. That may add a degree of water resistance too. I'll see how these hold up, thanks for the advice,

 

As far as Brian's question about the tail, these particular flies have a big tail; 4 splayed hackles on each side, some krystalflash, and some marabou (several clumps on the frog pattern), and 3-4 large hackles wrapped right behind the body. Some of my other flies have a sparser tail. I don't really have a particular formula, I kinda wing it and try different things. Can't say I've noticed that one way or the other is more successful for me, Thanks for all the comments/ suggestions.

 

Tom

[tidewaterfly 0]

I have to agree with what these others have said, very nicely done! :thumbup:

 

 

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

very nice! love the hot tiger colour

[Henry Franklin 0]

Great work Tom :yahoo: !!!!!

 

Henry F.

[smokinprice 0]

Great work