Another Popper Done

[idcraft 0]

Here is a Sz 10 panfish popper that I recently finished, Hope all these poppers I have started will do well come spring time for me and my fly fishing buds here, can't seem to get decent poppers around here since Accardo went out of business a few years ago. My supply has dwindled down to very low numbers. Haha

[bluegill576 0]

nice popper! just one suggestion would be to use a little smaller sized hackle, but it is fine with the larger hackle.

[flymanaj 0]

Accardo didn't go out of business. Check out breambugs.com. Nice poppers, should be some real Gill grabbers.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

ID, that guy looks great! As bluegill said, a smaller hackle would probably perform better, sometimes larger hackle on a small bug will make it go upside down or float sideways or spin on the cast. I came across some cheap dry fly hackle that works exceptional for skirting small bugs. The last year or two I have begun using Estaz/Cactus Chenille for skirting my smaller bugs, it fills the gap between tail and body and the filaments are about the size of the smaller heads.

 

Kirk

 

On these, I even trimmed the fibers from the bottom. I never do that with hackled skirts and not always with the estaz skirts either but I wanted to apply head cement to the underside of the skirt to increase its durability.

[kelkay 0]

Great little poppers!!

[tidewaterfly 0]

ID, they look good! There are plenty of poppers available commercially, but making them yourself should give you more satisfaction about catching fish with them. I, like many others am an addict when it comes to such things!

 

 

Kirk, your's always look good!

 

I don't make many poppers that small, but when I did, would buy India dry fly necks, primarily dyed black, and use that hackle for the collars. They're usually not expensive & can tie a variety of small sizes. I also used them when adding a hackle to foam ant patterns. Really don't need high quality dry fly hackle for poppers, or foam bugs so it keeps the costs reasonable!

[Henry Franklin 0]

Nice gill gitter idcraft

 

Henry F.

[idcraft 0]

Thanks guys, this was the only black hackle I had, bought some india hackle tod ay just for this purpose!

[Stippled Popper 0]

Well Done! If the popper floats properly with the long hackle wrap, I don't envision it causing any other problems.

[ditz2 0]

Very nice poppers. I do some 1/4" cork cylinder poppers for gills. I use soft hackle for body wraps and I feel that if the hackle is too long or too stiff it will lead to missed strikes. No proof, just a belief. My poppers are quite crude compared to what I see here. I always lose them before they fall apart. Some of mine are years old and have caught a lot of fish. Hump shanked hooks, small slit in cork body, and epoxy. When you break one off of the hook by hand there is still cork attached to the hook. These are Timex poppers.

[Nick Williams 0]

What are you guys using for the popper part of those poppers? Are they pre made or are you guys shaping them yourselves?? I started hitting the ponds again since it started warming up, but the prices for small poppers is outrageous, so I am trying to come up with some ideas for me and my fishin buds. Any advice is awesome!

[idcraft 0]

These were the Wapsi "Perfect Popper Bodies" size 10. I get them from Mad River Outfitters. with $25 order, you get free shipping, saves in the long run. I buy the bodies and hooks separately, a little cheaper that way.

[Stippled Popper 0]

I once purchased some shaped cork bodies in the #10 size. It was a bad experience. Some of the bodies immediately split

in two while inserting the hook into the body. Some others split after they were painted when I tried to thread the rubber legs

through the body. Since I've stayed with the Wapsi hard foam for poppers in these small sizes. Other materials might also

work. But for me cork is out for anything under a #8.

[Nick Williams 0]

These were the Wapsi "Perfect Popper Bodies" size 10. I get them from Mad River Outfitters. with $25 order, you get free shipping, saves in the long run. I buy the bodies and hooks separately, a little cheaper that way.

 

Nice, those are what I have been looking at. Two questions, yours seem to have more of a boxy squared looking shape to them. I haven't seen the Perfect Popper Bodies in the shape, so did you shape them yourself? And, i haven't used those bodies at all, can I get away with using other hooks for them or just use what they recommend?

 

Thanks!

[idcraft 0]

The size 10 and 12 poppers have this "panfish" shape vs cupped on the larger sizes. As for hooks, I would use the ones that are recommened in the package. I had used some of the old style mustad popper hooks in others and they don't "look" right, the hump is right at the rear of the body. the package says you can use Tiemco 100 dry fly hooks also on these smaller ones, but I ordered the new mustad popper hooks. this is just my opinion, there are a lot more advanced popper builders on this forum that may have a better answer to you hook question.