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My 2nd popper, hackle getting little better. my wife painted this to. What can I use that's better than marabou for popper's?

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Comment by jim cosgrove on December 3, 2013 at 5:36pm

your correct allen,they do pick em a part,have had em strip the hook  almost bare.always the little aggressive ones.the big ones just suck it down.gills tend to school by size ,at least where i fish.i usually move on and switch to a sub surface fly as the bigger fish are holding deeper.my biggest gills on a fly have all been on surface flies tho.fishing on top is the most exciting way to fish for me bass bluegills carp whatever no one ever said it was easy.

Comment by Allen Morgan on December 3, 2013 at 4:21pm

...and had them do nothing but pick at the legs...

'Gills will do that to try and drown the bug, then tear it apart underwater into something that can manage.  Usually, this is just smaller fish trying to inhale a big bug.  I've also see decent 'gills do this to Bass poppers.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on December 2, 2013 at 7:35pm

I will normally fish them in the early morning and late afternoon's near edges, log's, tree branches, overhang's, lily pads etc...

That right there - I need to time it better.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on December 2, 2013 at 7:33pm

HAHAHA! Youre right - having a wife that supports you that way is priceless.

Ill take your advice under my wing, Angelo. I have had bluegills nail them on touch down... and had them do nothing but pick at the legs. Its a funny thing. When I get that I usually switch to something that sinks, like small soft hackle or nymph

Comment by Angelo C Mastrando Jr. on December 2, 2013 at 7:22pm

David you don't have to wait that long while fishing poppers, personally I do not. I love fly fishing poppers and I have been very successful over my short experience fly fishing. I will normally fish them in the early morning and late afternoon's near edges, log's, tree branches, overhang's, lily pads etc....I'll cast maybe 2 or 3 from either side wait just a few seconds sometimes I don't even wait for the ripples to leave and just start making a few small 4-5 inch stripes and for me a lot of times before it even stop it bam! connected! I've had bluegill's jump clear out the water for them maybe 5-6 inch jump seeing the whole body top water action is fun. But david sometimes it can be a stare game I've missed plenty of fish by turning my head when I look back either the popper is gone or seeing a big ripple dissappearing. When you can use the Bluegill's watching it and examining it try switching poppers and going to a faster approach can help a lot but if that fail's, I'll go to my trusted and most respected dry fly ''The Mosquito'' never let's you down. Thanks all I need more practice, and I'am thankful that my wife likes to paint them for me

Comment by Leo Nguyen on December 2, 2013 at 7:06pm

Great looking popper.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on December 2, 2013 at 6:55pm

And I'm glad Jim mentioned the feathered tail. I see plenty of poppers done that way. It seems to be traditional, in fact.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on December 2, 2013 at 6:54pm

Thanks Jim. I've got a pattern for the "Sneaky Pete," essentially a popper turned backwards. They are usually called sliders, when done this way. It sounds like that is what you are talking about. Supposedly, bluegill will take them with a vengeance.

For bass, all that commotion and bubbling bother seem to enrage them into striking. They like it, I think. But, I've always heard that it is a game to see who will blink first when fishing poppers for bluegill. Cast the popper, let it sit... and wait. The rings will die away. The flies will buzz nearby. And still you wait.

20 - 30 - 45 seconds is not too long to stare at your lure. Then twitch it... just a little twitch, mind you, and wait some more.

The biggest bluegills are wary and will examine your popper for a long time before taking it. You may not see him (odds are good you won't), but he was there when the bug FIRST landed. Waiting. Watching.

This is not a game for the faint of  heart.

Comment by Vince Fusco on December 2, 2013 at 6:46pm

Good one,Angelo. I like the paint job, and the bit of crystal flash you used in the tail.

Comment by jim cosgrove on December 2, 2013 at 5:49pm

in reply to my friend david,2 ways to fish,agressive,cupped face lots of noise commotion.good for hot evenings strip it hard  might see a wake coming for this one.i use the round bullet shaped ones to twitch dive a little pause.usually gets hit while still sucked down in a whirlpool.bluegill poppers think bee or cricket in water twitch twitch,pause for a while.usually sucked down while still

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