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TheCream

What good is all the painting...

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...if they don't catch anything? Fortunately, so far this spring, the gills have been loving my hand painted mini-poppers. I had been using epoxy on the mini-poppers (Wapsi Perfect Popper bodies, small size), but for the last several I used Loon UV Knot Sense as the clear coat. It looks great, I'll just have to see how the finish holds up. Here are the color combos I have in my box right now:

 

DSC_0492.jpg

 

I was out testing a new nymph pattern on Saturday here in SE Ohio at a public pond, it was a cold, windy day with air temps dropping from low 40's to high 30's. All of a sudden a gill slurped my Thingamabobber, so naturally I grabbed for a popper to see if they wanted to play. They did.

 

IMGP2238.jpg

 

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Yellow and black was the ticket:

 

IMGP2242.jpg

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My 'Cajun" friends just to the east of me will tell unequivocally that there are ONLY two colors, or a combination thereof, for 'gills: Yellow, and Black!

 

perchjerker

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Great post!!! I Just love it when people post pics of flies they tied in the fishes mouth.. And your poppers look awesome in that natural setting... :headbang:

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Beautifully painted and tied poppers!

I was misled by your Topic title thinking it was about the waste of time it is to paint to which I was prepared to answer: It is easier and cheaper than therapy.

 

Kirk

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It was so cool to watch them hit the popper. I'd cast it out, let the ripples go away, give a few twitches then let it sit there. I'd see a gill come up under it real slow, and just look at it. Give it one slight twitch and then they'd attack. :D Lots of strikes were lazy and didn't produce hook ups, but it was still a blast. Is it summer yet?

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Awesome - we still have ice here... and I'm really looking forward to tossing poppers for gills / crappie soon. it's a real blast, and the little guys fight REALLY well!!!

 

Thanks for sharing both your great flies and photos!

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It was so cool to watch them hit the popper. I'd cast it out, let the ripples go away, give a few twitches then let it sit there. I'd see a gill come up under it real slow, and just look at it. Give it one slight twitch and then they'd attack. :D Lots of strikes were lazy and didn't produce hook ups, but it was still a blast. Is it summer yet?

I was thinking that summer was finally on the way too, but this morning I woke up to some snow/sleet. :angry: Hopefully it will go away soon.

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Great job on the spots and eyes. I have steady hand but for some reason some people have a trick to it, and i'm still searching.. Good Job

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Great job on the spots and eyes. I have steady hand but for some reason some people have a trick to it, and i'm still searching.. Good Job

 

Use the back end of a drill bit. They come in various sizes and work well. I've got close to 50 poppers ready for eyes....hopefully start those tonight with my drill bits.

 

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Great job on the spots and eyes. I have steady hand but for some reason some people have a trick to it, and i'm still searching.. Good Job

 

Use the back end of a drill bit. They come in various sizes and work well. I've got close to 50 poppers ready for eyes....hopefully start those tonight with my drill bits.

 

I use random round things that I found as my dotting "tools." The really small dots I do with an old blunt-ended bodkin, the larger dots on bass bugs and eyes for small poppers with the battery from a lighted arrow nock, and the larger eyes for bass bugs I use a cap from a bottle of eye drops. :) Dip it in paint, dot it on, dip it in paint, dot it on, etc...

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In painting eyes it helps to rest the hand holding the fly on a stable surface.

 

Do the same with the hand holding the painting tool. Take it slow as you line

up the painting tool and approach the spot where the eye is to be painted with

a gentle motion of the wrist.

 

Practice on something like a 3x5 card until you get the hang of it.

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In painting eyes it helps to rest the hand holding the fly on a stable surface.

 

Do the same with the hand holding the painting tool. Take it slow as you line

up the painting tool and approach the spot where the eye is to be painted with

a gentle motion of the wrist.

 

Practice on something like a 3x5 card until you get the hang of it.

 

Just to add to that (great advice), to place the eyes consistently, I usually use a "cheater dot." I'll place a small dot of paint on the body to mark where I want the eye located, this gives me a spot to aim for and I won't wind up with inconsistent and uneven eyes.

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