Friday, January 28, 2000

Foam Popping Bug

Originator: Ubiqitous

Version by: Randy Leonpacher

Species: bluegill

Remarks by Randy Leonpacher:

Nothing is more fun than catching brimskis on popping bugs. There are so many bugs around water in Louisiana, that you'd better have a full tank of windshield fluid anytime you drive after dark. For this reason, the best time to use popping bugs is the last two hours before twilight. These bugs are easy and cheap to make. Which is good, because so many will get hung up in the willow and cypress trees. It's not that you can't get your bugs out of these trees, it's just that you may have to fend off wasps to do so. Personally, I'd rather donate the fly to the tree.

Materials:

- Mustad 9672 or popper hook, size 8 or 10.
- flip flop foam.
- rubber leg material.
- narrow brass tubing.
- hackle feathers.

Instructions:

  1. Use the narrow brass tubing to "drill" out a cylinder of flip flop foam. A mult-colored, layered flip flop can produced several different color patterns from a single drill.
  2. Each flip flop section is then fastened to a hook by making an incision, putting the hook shank into the incision, and securing with super glue.
  3. Rubber legs are passed thru the body
  4. Feathers are tied, with one palmered behind the body for a tail. 
  5. Eyes can be painted on with permanent markers or nail polish
  6. Use a clear lacquer to coat the body for shine and durability. 
Other: