playing with epoxy

[caloosa bug 0]

So, I love tying with craft foam. It's quick, cheap, and easy. Cork is cool too, but you can shape and mold it in a number of ways. A recent outing left a number of my bugs looking like the black one pictured here. Torn to pieces. It's not that big of a deal, but just an inconvenience of having to re-tie while fish are waving at you. So I 5 min epoxied over a few foam poppers, and they are nearly bullet proof. I was worried about flotation and weight, but it's not that noticeable. i can catch for hours without worrying with torn poppers. Leader still has to be checked and a few decide to fly high into the trees. But that's fishing. What do y'all think?

[Stippled Popper 0]

A light clear coating on them should be fine and also protect the colors you put on

some from wearing off.

[kevin24018 0]

good idea, what were you catching?

[caloosa bug 0]

Mayan cichlids. They are an invasive freshwater fish that have overtaken my bluegill bedding holes over the last 15-20 years. They are tasty though and put up a great fight.

[kevin24018 0]

I use to have cichlids in an aquarium, do they tear up your flies more than the native species? after you coat them with the epoxy do they still have some flex to them or they rock hard?

[caloosa bug 0]

Yes. Much toothier than a bass or bluegill. The bugs are pretty much rock hard on the outside, but there is some flex where the underside of the foam meets the hook.

[caloosa bug 0]

More epoxy foam bugs

[mikechell 0]

I am still undecided, Caloosa, whether I like those or not.

[caloosa bug 0]

How about a fire tiger with a little sparkle. or a diver with a lot of sparkle.

[mikechell 0]

Don't get me wrong, I like the design of the foam poppers. But I don't think I like the epoxy coating. In fact, I am pretty sure I don't.

 

Foam popper bodies are good, but they are easily destroyed. I understand that's why you started using the epoxy. And I am not saying it's "wrong".

But, as you stated, tying with foam is cheap and easy. I tie enough that I can tie on another without worrying about it. Replace them when I run out ... usually on the same hooks. With my flip-flop poppers, they're designed to just put a new body on, without retying all the other materials.

 

So, for me ... the epoxy step is unnecessary. And I don't think it makes the bugs look better, just the opposite.

[agn54 0]

I learned to fish catching cichlids and oscars on balls of Wonder Bread in my grandmother's backyard, although we used to just call all of them oscars back then. They were a blast on a little Donald Duck Zebco. I can imagine they are great fun on the fly as well. What size rod do you use?

 

I agree with Mike on the epoxy. I would just tie on another when one got shredded and then razor blade the shredded ones at home to retie them. Give me an excuse to spend more time at the vise, as if I needed that. But if it works for you, then keep at it

[caloosa bug 0]

Ya we used to catch Oscars growing up. I don't see too many of them any more. my little brother actually had a state record and we didn't know it. It was over 3lbs. Dad agreed to get it mounted and it went to the local taxadermist's freezer. When we found out the state record was 2.3 we thawed it and weighed it on a certified scale and it had lost weight in the freezing and thawing. Came up a few oz shy. The igfa world record is 3.8. Anyway, the Oscars are colored much darker than the cichlids. I usually use a 7 wt just because it's what I keep rigged up. I also catch them on a 4/5 wt for fun when I have it with me. I used to cuss them when bluegill fishing. Now they go right in the cooler with the bluegill.

[thinkingredneck 0]

I like liquid fusion instead of epoxy. No smell, water clean up, and a food bit of protection.

[thinkingredneck 0]

Good bit of protection, sorry.

[vicente 0]

have you tried using flexament on it might do the same thing but keep them a little softer.