Stippled Popper

Thanks!  Close up images show you things not so apparent when looking at them in real life.

My vise sits clamped to the left side of my multipurpose desk at a height very close to Mikechell's and DarrellP's.  Yesterday I tied at an expo in New Orleans.  The vise was sitting about 6 inches higher.  It didn't seem to make a difference.  

6 hours ago, flytire said:

the top one could be a woven caddis larva similar to this photo except with biot legs

 

or even a woven dragonfly/damselfly nymph

The bottom one looks to be a hank roberts woven nymph

The bottom one . . . wow! thanks for the image.

I won a tub of used and unused poppers and wet flies at my fly fishing clubs latest conclave. Among the wet flies were these two woven flies. I am most interested in the green and yellow one. My questions are do any of you recognize these bugs and know their names?  Thanks!

Sorry for the loss.  It always hurts to lose a furry companion.

Nicely done!

I guess I am fairly fortunate with my case of tinnitus.  Most of the time I basically tune it out.  It immediately comes to my attention for a while though if someone mentions tinnitus.

I donate my surplus flies to my local club for our annual conclave for the raffles and to other fly fishing clubs and other fly events where I am invited to tie.  Individual flies are generally handed to people watching you tie at tying events.

On 1/14/2021 at 1:21 PM, SBPatt said:

Pepto Bismol Muddler

Putting a lot of pink stuff laying around on the table to work.

hook - WFC Model 6 #8
thread - Danville 6/0 fluoro pink
rib - small wire silver
tail - marabou dyed hot pink (1 Tbs Rit Fuchsia/4 cups water)
body - Ice Dub Hot Pink
body hackle - grizzly dyed hot pink
collar/head - pronghorn dyed hot pink

Regards,
Scott

Scott: 

You somehow keep finding a new slant on this fly.  Do you know how many there are so far?  

17 hours ago, denduke said:

It surprises me that more peeps aren’t using the Hardasnails, resin, or epoxy with the glitter dust.   May be cuz it’s kinda messy.  Gotta dust over sheet of paper or sumthin.  You can “paint” different areas on the bodies dust on a color.  Let it dry; which ain’t long.  Then do another area/color and so on.   Put eyes, stripes, stipples on last.   Then final coat to cover and slick it off.  Lots faster than paint drying.   Pearl for bellies and transition to dark blue or black for bait fish.  The pepper shakers are easy; cutting a corner on the lil bags is not as good but the stuff is cheap.  Jazz up some key fobs with it too.

 I sometimes use a metallic paint as a base coat and then stipple over it and get something a slight bit like the shiny effect glitter provides.  I'd do it more often if it was as easy on my eyes to paint over something that shiny as it is easy for me to paint over a matte finish.

On 1/12/2021 at 5:49 PM, Philly said:

I've been through 5 minute epoxy, Liquid Fusion and a couple of other coatings.  Now I just use UV resin.  Since I use mostly pre-made soft foam popper bodies and craft foam for my poppers I have taken to using the Solarez Flex Resin to finish the poppers off.  The one thing I never liked about epoxy and the hard UV resins is that with the soft foam bodies if you squeeze them the hard coatings tend to crack.

 Indeed!  A stiff clear coat with a soft flexible body is not a good combination.

I have used Devcon 30 minute epoxy and Bob Smith Industries(BSI) 30 minute epoxy.  Now I am using Flex Coat Gel Lurecoat epoxy.  It costs more than the other two but comes in a kit with reusable marked syringes which make getting an exact 50/50 mix of hardener and resin.  I haven't had any epoxy failures to cure properly using the Flex Coat.  That didn't happen often with the other two.  But never is much better.  By cooling the Devcon and BSI I was able to consistently coat 10 popper bodies while taking the time to make sure there were no fish eyes on any of the bodies.  With the Flex Coat I can consistently clear coat 18 to 20 poppers with no cooling, just spreading thin on aluminum foil.  I could probably do even more if my setup could handle more. Flex coat does have an odor so I use a fan to blow the smell away.  Being a thinner product, the Flex Coat does take much longer before you can stop turning your poppers(as much as 3 hours).  It seems to be completely solid after 12 hours.  But I generally give it 24 hours since I am not a production tier.  It also has a UV inhibitor which should delay the discoloration epoxy commonly develops over time. 

See images.  BSI,  Devcon, Flex Coat - Excess from batches placed in medicine caps to a depth of about a centimeter.

Tip:  All epoxies are more viscous than water.  Stirring the epoxy to thoroughly mix the hardener and resin together will introduce bubbles.  This is particulary true if you use something like the paddle stirrer that comes with the Devcon 30 minute double syringe system or a popsicle stick..  A narrow diameter round stirrer introduces fewer bubbles.

I am fairly certain Mustad quit making the CK52S hook in sizes 12 and 14 years ago.  I've personally never seen anyone carry those sizes since I bought the few I was able to find then.

I had carpal tunnel syndrome from too much typing at work and play and other repetitive activities so it was in both hands. It didn't impact tying that much but I couldn't hold a fly rod for more than a couple of minutes.  One hand was registered as 7 of 10 in severity in the left and 8 of 10 in the right plus trigger finger in one. Sometime having a high pain threshold isn't helpful. The surgery I had under local anesthesia wasn''t that big a deal except that I had to go in twice. . . you need to have a hand free to wipe yourself(sorry couldn't resist).   

1 hour ago, Chisum said:

There is always a PM option instead of airing it out for all to see

Excellent idea!  

Even for polite, positive, well intentioned comments.  

Just a thought.  If no more are to be found, you might try taking a board, placing your lone existing hook on the board and driving nails along the shank near the eye and also where the bend is . . . a jig of sorts so you can bend a similar down eye streamer hook to make your own.

2 hours ago, 173south said:

Thanks for your reply. The town I live in SW Texas does not have 30 minute epoxy on the shelves ay Lowes, Home depot or Ace so I was just wondering about the water based poly . 

Good looking popper you have there! Do you find the bright colors, yellow, white  ,orange  or maybe tan to work better for blue gills than a red or green ? 

Those colors all work at different times as well as black , brown, blue and chartreuse.  

StippledPoppers2012.pdf

14 hours ago, 173south said:

What about coating the acrylic with water based poly ? Easy to use spray can quick drying time ? 

Polyurethane is very adequate for coating poppers if you are going to be using them for the current season.  In my experience, over the short run it can last better than 30 minute epoxy.  If you don't keep a bunch around for long periods before using them as I have, it should be fine.   Note the crack through the eye of this popper that sat inside  in one of my boxes for several years before I added the dressing this year to finally fish it.  The poly and the paint came off before long when I fished it for Bluegill.

2 hours ago, WJG said:

Kimo, you did get a chuckle from me.  Must be the demographics.  Only a thin slice of this population were directly exposed to the Kung Fu grip GI Joe.  And a total other bunch have quite a different definition for the term.  Heard even Stretch Armstrong made a comeback.  

  Back when the GI Joe with Fung Fu grip came out I jokingly told my daughter she was getting one from me for Christmas.  When I opened my gift from her on Christmas Day I found a Mr. T doll complete with weapons and tools. . . joke turns around!

18 hours ago, KevinD62 said:

I don't see how this COVID-19 is slowing down the economy.  Staying at home and running out of honey-do things I spent last night online shopping.  Before I knew I'd confirmed several different orders for fly tying materials totaling just over $150.  I need to get out before I spend all my fishing trip money.  😁

It is certainly not doing any good for anyone involved in any way in the restaurant business.

6 hours ago, Bryon Anderson said:

For those of you who like good Westerns as I do, there are two that top the list for me, both by the Coen Bros. -- their remake of True Grit and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. 

What do you think of "Once Upon A Time In The West" which is my favorite Western?

Superb work!

Mine turned white and opaque

If you get superglue on your hand and try to wash it off, it will certainly turn white, opaque, and pretty much instantly cure. Are you applying it to something that is wet?

Checked my wallet, mogup. I might be able to buy you one of these.

Not the set, just one. Black or red?

Nice!

But seriously, the subject of your having attended the North Toledo Bend Rendezvous several years ago came up in our discussions. Hope your schedule puts you in the area sometime in future the first weekend in November so you might be able to attend again.