blue gill popper

Comment

Comment by Tony Livingston on December 19, 2013 at 5:01pm

For me, I place functionality first, with appearance a close second. I appreciate good looking stuff, and the care that went into its creation, but I would sacrifice those items in a second for something that worked better. The rod that Walt made for me as an example, is absolutely beautiful. But my stuff gets used, not placed on a shelf and admired. Truth be known, Walt's amazing talents are probably lost on me, as I would love the rod just as much if it had all off the shelf components and all he had to do was stick them together...it's the function that I'm looking for, not so much the beauty....I'm just fortunate to be the recepient of both, combined into one rod...And I'm very happy with it!

Just the opinion of a guy who's looking to reduce things to their basic level needed to work...and catch fish. That's the beauty of Bg fishing.....you can take it to whatever level you want to, and still enjoy yourself along the way.

Comment by DAVID L EITUTIS on December 19, 2013 at 4:46pm

HAVE TO AGREE WITH MARK AND JIM COSGROVE HERE: IF a fishes vision stops at the water line how do they manage to take a live frog off a lily pad? Or has anyone seen those huge fish in south america coming outta the water to get a bird or something off a tree limb over the water !!!!!!

Comment by DAVID L EITUTIS on December 19, 2013 at 4:37pm

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHY THE MONA LISA IS SO VALUABLE ? ONLY IT'S INTRINSIC VALUE IS WHAT I THINK. THESE POPPERS are way beyond my talents , but if someone likes to make em like this more, power to em .

 Personally I think we all tend to over think things like why does it have eyes, etc. As long as some one appreciates the bug and what it really represents , is all that really matters. Guess it all comes down to pride in craftmanship, WHICH AIN'T DEAD IN THIS COUNTRY YET, BUT IT IS ON LIFE SUPPORT !!!!!!!!!!

  GLAD TO SEE FELLAS LIKE MARK on here , who obviously cares about what he does, or he wouldn't go the extra mile .

  For instance if Walt Foreman didn't care how his rods look he could sell em a lot cheaper than they are . He also cares and has a different slant on things too or he'd just make plain vanilla stuff . His rods are works of art in my opinion , and if I'm not mistaken good ole Tony is the proud owner and user of one of his Rods .

  For all you craftsmen out there thanks and keep the faith . Great job and keep the pics coming !!!!
  Thanks Mark for posting these pics today , ya made my day buddy........

  

Comment by jim cosgrove on December 19, 2013 at 4:35pm

your correct mark,i had a nice fat bass bug in frog color with big frog eyes on it ,the 3d nice ones.fished it alot.got lots of big hits and a couple fish.the eyes came off and they left it alone.i don't think that people realize how durable the finish is on your flies.your airbrush work is awsome,especially on such small pieces.i like the eyes and the gill mark on even the plain white bug.my brother has a koi pond, he whistles and they come up to feed .had to see it to believe it

Comment by Mark Stine on December 19, 2013 at 4:22pm

I  don't know why folks think a fishes vision stops at the waterline?  I guess you could convince all those trout fisherman that they don't need to sneak up on a stream presenting a low profile so the fish won't see them. I know that I catch more fish from the kayak than the bass boat (less visible?).  The fish in the aquarium get excited when they see me pick up the fish food they swim up to the side and smile.  just kidding LOL 

Comment by jim cosgrove on December 19, 2013 at 4:19pm

first why do fish hit any thing other than live bait.they get a cue that triggers a response,i think if a fly lure or whatever makes the fish assume it could be food and then behaves in a certain way then a fish will try and eat and or kill it.i think the color thing is never going to be solved.i think the more realistic approach is fine but is a bright color easier for the fish to see and therefore zoom in on.i like the artistry of the whole fly tying thing.mark is an artist and it makes my day when he shares his work here,i totally believe eyes matter,especially on bass bugs,the fun is in fooling the fish and the frustration and joy it brings.sorry for rambling on

Comment by John Sheehan on December 19, 2013 at 3:55pm

Dick, perhaps when it's popped  the fish sees a slight flash of that top color .Not so sure it's of major consequence however; but perhaps sometimes it could be . I've read the point you're making in books before and it made sense . I attribute more to movement and visibility in regards to the lure I'm using. I'm more inclined to use  blander more natural color on lures  unless the water is dark or muddy . What attracts the fish, in terms of color is what I want to know. Bruce Condello has talked about see through patterns that blend in to natural surroundings which have a natural appearance and don't send off unnatural messages .

Comment by dick tabbert on December 19, 2013 at 3:43pm

I got to add my 2cent worth here. We think in our minds what we think a fish would like but in all reality most of the time we are probably wrong. I'll give a for-instance. Mark has a beautiful popper here by all means top of the line. I will be the 1st to say by no means would I pick it apart. The feather addition in my opinion is a plus just a little more movement that could entice that bite. The paint job superb in itself is in my opinion really overkill but a great job of painting. When the popper sets in the water he may see the eyes don't know. The blue on the top the fish will never see but it does catch our eyes. But what would I change about it nothing. I think it has some appealing factors to the fish and if I where selling the poppers the paint on the back catches the eye of the person wanting to purchase such an item. I my opinion what you would I change is nothing it fulfills it 2 purposes. Catching the fish and the fisherman. Hope I don't make anybody mad just my perspective on a beautiful popper.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on December 19, 2013 at 3:24pm

Beauty! Marabou hackle AND rubber legs - the fish must go crazy.

Do you think the gorgeous detail you add to the finish helps the lure work better, or are they more for the angler?

Its the perennial question, and since I've not yet achieved such excellence - it's all I got! :0

Comment by dick tabbert on December 19, 2013 at 2:16pm

Another good one I see bluegill wrote all over it.

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