# Foam poppers!



## Janus (Jul 26, 2006)

Anyone tie them? if so what do you like to use for the tail and does a hackle collar seem to help?
Janus


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## RiverRunner88 (Jun 15, 2006)

Janus said:


> Anyone tie them? if so what do you like to use for the tail and does a hackle collar seem to help?
> Janus


heres some i tied


























heres one with hackle and i added some rubber legs from a bass spinner skirt i like the way the roosterneck looks to most i think hackle works to make a bit of a bulkier body though. hope that helps alittle


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Yep started on them yesterday. Got a bunch of differnent colors laminated and got to glue them together ton ite. I will post them when I get thenm done. Looking for hooks M33903 size 12 and 14 for bluegills. But have the larger ones. Hard to find anything good down here though.


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## tornwaders (Oct 2, 2007)

does anybody know how to tie foam divers without buying the prefab heads. Im looking to tie dalhbergs without using deerhair.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Although I haven't made these with foam but I am sure you can but they probably wont look as nice as the prefabricated ones. I like the deerhair myself. I am sure I seen one made out foam but can't remember where I seen the article.


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

I have always seen poppers and wondered how to make um. looks like some foam, hook and epoxy with materials tied in.kinda simple sounding. I have 3 or 4 gill poppers I bought but never had luck on um. might have to try um out this summer again. they came with mono weed guards. won't that make you miss a bite? seems to block the hook to me? no algae or lilly pads to snag around where I fish either.


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## brhoff (Sep 28, 2006)

Fishaholic, "easiest" way is to buy the premade forms..come in packs of 6-10 depending on size and also get the bent shank hooks so they stay glued together....can also make divers by reversing the form on th hook so the narrow end is forward.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Fishaholic69 said:


> I have always seen poppers and wondered how to make um. looks like some foam, hook and epoxy with materials tied in.kinda simple sounding. I have 3 or 4 gill poppers I bought but never had luck on um. might have to try um out this summer again. guardthey came with mono weed s. won't that make you miss a bite? seems to block the hook to me? no algae or lilly pads to snag around where I fish either.


Yes those weedguards can miss you some fish especially those picky big ones. But if you in the weeds a lot then they make life a little easier so there are trade offs. I haven't seen many pppers with them so where you got them at?
As for making them foam ,finger nail file /ander and a dremel tool is all you need to make them. You don't really need the kink shank hooks though as you can wrap thread on a longer shank hook and glue the foam body to them. I have been doing that lately it work well. I gave up using any kind of super glue as I think itsworthless and get cloudy after awhile. I now use epoxy and UV Knot sense from now on.


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## ledslinger (Aug 24, 2006)

i was making bodies out of balsa wood---buy a square of appropriate size and shape them with a double edge razor blade it sands and paints easily---i was using a stinger hook(mustad 37187) and glue them into a slit made in the bottom--epoxy or uv glue them in---paint them and put a hackle on and go fish


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## BradS (Apr 7, 2004)

Here are a couple foam poppers for ya....

Brad


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## Flathead King 06 (Feb 26, 2006)

Janus said:


> Anyone tie them? if so what do you like to use for the tail and does a hackle collar seem to help?
> Janus


I like to use maribou with crystal flash or maribou with short saddle hackle feathers (gives the appearance of legs on some poppers) and for a collar depends on what type or popper im tying as to what I use..... sometimes I use spun deer hair, or some maribou of a lighter color than the main color of the fly to create the collar but most of the time its just 2 saddle hackle feathers in a matching grizzly color


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

BradS said:


> Here are a couple foam poppers for ya....
> 
> Brad


Pretty Cool! there but I think the first one wont pop at all though. Have you fished them?


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## BradS (Apr 7, 2004)

Flyfish Dog said:


> Pretty Cool! there but I think the first one wont pop at all though. Have you fished them?



No. Those things are as big as sparrows. Made them for a friend as a joke. They are made of foam using the dremel tool method.

Brad


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## Utard (Dec 10, 2006)

I haven't ever tied any poppers with foam, but have found that big gurglers serve as a pretty decent substitute and they're easier to cast. They're incredibly easy to tie and don't require any other specialized tool (i.e Dremmel) that you shouldn't already have in your tying arsenal. Check these out: http://www.jackgartside.com/step_gurgler.htm


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Utard, I make those with rubber legs. Great bass catching pattern for sure.

Here a picture


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## rweis (Dec 20, 2005)

What do you use to throw those babies? How long are they?


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## esoxfly (Oct 11, 2007)

The popper is called a Bob's Banger. It comes from the Strip community. It is based around cylindrical foam. When you strip it gurgles dives and leaves a bubble trail. It is quite easy to tie. The foam comes in many diameters so the fly can be scaled to whatever size you need. I have tied them musky/pike sized and bass sized. Given the way they are built you can change the heads of the fly in the field.

The following link has the details. You will need to assemble the link add "." and remove line feed, add / after "org" The list would not let specify and intact url.

www aswf org
saltwater_flies_for_web/bob_popovics/saltwater_flies_bob_banger.html


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

rweis said:


> What do you use to throw those babies? How long are they?


You can cast them with a 6wt since they are not to heavy and does not absorb much water. But I like using my 9wt. for bass but got a new Winston 7wt. rod that I will be using a lot this year for bass so as long as they fly is not to heavy.


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## Utard (Dec 10, 2006)

F-dog. Now that is what I'm talking about! I haven't turned any out that are that large, but I also add rubber legs to mine. It's such an easy addition that really makes a difference.

Once I get back from Utah and then back from the 3/29 fishing trip up on the Rocky, I'll definitely be working on some. I'll try to post a few pictures once they're complete.

BTW, very good looking flies!


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

I will have a few extras when I come up for the yard sale we will have over at farm just in case some like to trey them.


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## Flathead King 06 (Feb 26, 2006)

Flyfish Dog, just wondering if it would be possible to tie that pattern to accommodate fishing for whitebass and smallies in short water? I will be using a 5wt rod... so the big question would be do you think the fly will become too heavy for the rod? I plan on tying the fly on a size 2 or 4 hook...


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

I don't see why not. Although I don't have a 5wt. A 2-4 would be to big IMO.
Try an 8 or 10 and just reduce the size. Come to think of it I may just work on one smaller so I can try it on Brookies here with a 3wt. The flies pictured are about 6-7 inches long. So adjust proportional to size. Use materials that don't absorb water is key. I like rabbit stuff for large fly but when they get soaked and using 8 or 9wt rods everyday is tiresome.


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## Utard (Dec 10, 2006)

Flathead King 06 said:


> I will be using a 5wt rod... so the big question would be do you think the fly will become too heavy for the rod? I plan on tying the fly on a size 2 or 4 hook...



Flat,

I have been using a 5 wt for smallies and LMB as well while throwing Gurglers and haven't had a second's problem. Non of mine we size 2 or 4, but I have tossed a few 6's and smaller. Most of mine are in the 8-10 size. Like FFdog said, keep them light. Use a lighter hook, and either lower quality hackle feather for the tails or krystal flash. Synthetics work well because most don't absorb a lot of water so they'll stay light. I also use the shortest leader possible with these because they can get bulky and wind resistant.


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