Gunnar, I learn as much from listening to you while you tie as I do watching you. I'm going to check out your Store. BTW, I think your kid is a natural on camera - you introduced him in one of your other videos!
Just happened by your channel. I am learning to ty poppers. Can you tell me where you get your materials. Enjoyed your video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills.
I tied several of these last spring and the bass slaughtered them ,I made a couple in bumblebee pattern ,frog colors and they were destroyed. Excellent fly popper
Cool fly. I've ordered some of the faux bucktail to mess with in a plethora of colors. I'm really looking forward to that. I was wondering how you feel about articulated poppers? Seems like it could be helpful in the larger size. I look forward to hearing your input and, obviously, your next video.
Hey Tim, I certainly love the idea! Anything big and articulated gets a thumbs up in my book. These size large double barrel poppers are designed to fill Flymens 28mm shanks perfectly, and the shank would have just enough room for the the craft fur collar to cover the articulation joint, as well as being far more durable than a two hook wire connection system. If you intend to make a larger popper, articulating it would be the best option for moving the hook placement rearward. You could easily tie the tail hook of a chunky dunker, or any hollow style fly, or even a bff tail up to a faux bucktail wing stack with flash. the possibilities are endless man! Good luck!
Do you run into issues with steel leader material (I use toothy critter or knot 2 kinky) pulling your fly down due to weight of the leader? I am looking to overcome this issue with similar patterns.
Personally, I use a rather small snap to attach my flies, especially popper, about 20lb or so. I find the weight of the snap - being right at the hook eye to play a rather large role into the flotation of the popper, or I will omit the Snap all together and bind the leader directly to the hook eye if the foam head is a smaller size. I don't use Knot 2 Kinky, but a Nylon Coated Stainless Steel similar to Bauer and Hagstrom, and haven't run into any issues with these flymen popper bodies
Gunnar Brammer Thank you! Super helpful, and now that I've used the XL versions of these, I've found that I have no issues with my leader rig dragging it down.
Gunner, I really enjoy your vids and have learned a lot. I do have a few questions: 1. Using the Faux Bucktail, what are it limitations when compared with the real thing when used for trout & smallmouth flies? 2. You production and video quality are excellent, however you often fast forward which at time is frustrating for me when you use a dubbing brush since i have yet to ever use one. Could you give a demo in a future vid? Thanks!
Thanks David! I'll certainly put a dubbing brush at normal speed in a future vid for you. As far as the Faux bucktail....any limitation will depend on the style of fly you tie, and what you consider to be trout and smallmouth flies. For clousers, which work great for both, it is an excellent all around substitute! For baitfish style patterns ranging from 4" to 6", the key to success is finding a means to build bulk. Natural bucktail is hollow and flairs, where the Faux will need a material dam of sorts to increase the volume of the fly. For me, the most consistant and easiest way to get the "flair" affect has been Hedron Flashabou Minnow Body, as well as Flymen Body Tubing in 1/8 and 1/4" dia. For me, the advantage of the Faux is its length and durability and I tend to consider for big fly applications. That being said, it makes for an excellent rib on nymphs and one pack would last a life time.
Nice Popper Gunnar! I will be trying some of these methods next time. I have a couple of questions......1) I bought some double barrel popper heads and my poppers slide over the surface instead of digging in and popping. I am inserting the hook towards the lower side of the mouth instead of the middle. I am thinking it should be in the middle which might help it to pop. What do you think?....2) Also, What weight rod are you using to cast that big popper with? Thanks!
Hey Andrew, you're spot on with the hook placement to the popper. Nearer to the middle of the head will definitely get the head more dig and pop, instead of simply sliding - something I had not played with at the time. I throw these fairly causally with an 8 wt. No issues with distance or turning them over. A good fat shooting head for bass, or pike/musky will have no problem delivering this size popper.
hey Gunnar,love your fly'z bro... I want to ask you the brand of you bobbin and where I can get it !! keep up with the video man, learning so much stuff has a noob of fly tying lol...hope to here back from you thx
Hey man, I'm using a Right Bobbin. I prefer the Mag, but also have the Half Hitch, the difference being the length of the tube, and the Half Hitch has a slight taper at the end of the tube to slide a half hitch off of. You can find them in a few places but I'd recommend going to Kelly Galloup's Slide Inn.
In the vid you commented that you don't understand why people throw the 3"-4" poppers. what is your logic behind a 6"-7" popper for bass? Just curious. Awesome work as always.
I just like big flies Lou, haha. The size of your fly should have nothing to do with the species you're targeting but everything to do with the forage you are imitating, with respect to the system you are fishing. My warm water rivers here in Duluth have really large baitfish such as shiners, shad, tulibee, chubs, suckers.....ect. So I tend to through flies from 5 - 8" for smallmouth almost exclusively once summer arrives through late fall. Yet if you were to fish a different river system dominated by dace, silversides, and fatheads, the fly range would be more on the 2-4" range. My point was simply not to standardize your fly size based off of the predator, but the system itself. Most popper silhouette mimic tadpole and frogs in my opinion which average in the standardized fly size for smallmouth poppers, but I need something to imitate the larger baitfish that occur in my area. Plus, when fish are active, they will tackle just about anything, and going as big as I can has always been more fun for me personally.
Hello Gunnar. Nice looking poppers. That material is nice.
Great looking popper! I'll have to try the new materials! Thanks Gunner!
Gunnar, I learn as much from listening to you while you tie as I do watching you. I'm going to check out your Store. BTW, I think your kid is a natural on camera - you introduced him in one of your other videos!
Nice. Now I need to get Faux Bucktail now.
Hi Gunnar i like yuor Pike Flys many Greatings from Austria Vienna
I tied this on a new Ahrex Predator Swimbait 6/0 by extending the shank with another flyman shank.
Another good one!
love it! I will have to tie some up for bass!
Just happened by your channel. I am learning to ty poppers. Can you tell me where you get your materials. Enjoyed your video.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills.
I tied several of these last spring and the bass slaughtered them ,I made a couple in bumblebee pattern ,frog colors and they were destroyed.
Excellent fly popper
I’ve been trying to learn how to tie poppers !! Could you tie more poppers?Thanks!!👍
damn!!!! another bad ass fly....
what size hook do you recommend for the articulated hook set up? using the large head set up.
Cool fly. I've ordered some of the faux bucktail to mess with in a plethora of colors. I'm really looking forward to that. I was wondering how you feel about articulated poppers? Seems like it could be helpful in the larger size. I look forward to hearing your input and, obviously, your next video.
Hey Tim, I certainly love the idea! Anything big and articulated gets a thumbs up in my book. These size large double barrel poppers are designed to fill Flymens 28mm shanks perfectly, and the shank would have just enough room for the the craft fur collar to cover the articulation joint, as well as being far more durable than a two hook wire connection system. If you intend to make a larger popper, articulating it would be the best option for moving the hook placement rearward. You could easily tie the tail hook of a chunky dunker, or any hollow style fly, or even a bff tail up to a faux bucktail wing stack with flash. the possibilities are endless man! Good luck!
Do you run into issues with steel leader material (I use toothy critter or knot 2 kinky) pulling your fly down due to weight of the leader? I am looking to overcome this issue with similar patterns.
Personally, I use a rather small snap to attach my flies, especially popper, about 20lb or so. I find the weight of the snap - being right at the hook eye to play a rather large role into the flotation of the popper, or I will omit the Snap all together and bind the leader directly to the hook eye if the foam head is a smaller size. I don't use Knot 2 Kinky, but a Nylon Coated Stainless Steel similar to Bauer and Hagstrom, and haven't run into any issues with these flymen popper bodies
Gunnar Brammer Thank you! Super helpful, and now that I've used the XL versions of these, I've found that I have no issues with my leader rig dragging it down.
Gunner, I really enjoy your vids and have learned a lot. I do have a few questions:
1. Using the Faux Bucktail, what are it limitations when compared with the real thing when used for trout & smallmouth flies?
2. You production and video quality are excellent, however you often fast forward which at time is frustrating for me when you use a dubbing brush since i have yet to ever use one. Could you give a demo in a future vid?
Thanks!
Thanks David! I'll certainly put a dubbing brush at normal speed in a future vid for you. As far as the Faux bucktail....any limitation will depend on the style of fly you tie, and what you consider to be trout and smallmouth flies. For clousers, which work great for both, it is an excellent all around substitute! For baitfish style patterns ranging from 4" to 6", the key to success is finding a means to build bulk. Natural bucktail is hollow and flairs, where the Faux will need a material dam of sorts to increase the volume of the fly. For me, the most consistant and easiest way to get the "flair" affect has been Hedron Flashabou Minnow Body, as well as Flymen Body Tubing in 1/8 and 1/4" dia. For me, the advantage of the Faux is its length and durability and I tend to consider for big fly applications. That being said, it makes for an excellent rib on nymphs and one pack would last a life time.
Nice Popper Gunnar! I will be trying some of these methods next time. I have a couple of questions......1) I bought some double barrel popper heads and my poppers slide over the surface instead of digging in and popping. I am inserting the hook towards the lower side of the mouth instead of the middle. I am thinking it should be in the middle which might help it to pop. What do you think?....2) Also, What weight rod are you using to cast that big popper with? Thanks!
Hey Andrew, you're spot on with the hook placement to the popper. Nearer to the middle of the head will definitely get the head more dig and pop, instead of simply sliding - something I had not played with at the time. I throw these fairly causally with an 8 wt. No issues with distance or turning them over. A good fat shooting head for bass, or pike/musky will have no problem delivering this size popper.
hey Gunnar,love your fly'z bro...
I want to ask you the brand of you bobbin and where I can get it !!
keep up with the video man, learning so much stuff has a noob of fly tying lol...hope to here back from you thx
Hey man, I'm using a Right Bobbin. I prefer the Mag, but also have the Half Hitch, the difference being the length of the tube, and the Half Hitch has a slight taper at the end of the tube to slide a half hitch off of. You can find them in a few places but I'd recommend going to Kelly Galloup's Slide Inn.
thx for the help buddy !!!
In the vid you commented that you don't understand why people throw the 3"-4" poppers. what is your logic behind a 6"-7" popper for bass? Just curious. Awesome work as always.
I just like big flies Lou, haha. The size of your fly should have nothing to do with the species you're targeting but everything to do with the forage you are imitating, with respect to the system you are fishing. My warm water rivers here in Duluth have really large baitfish such as shiners, shad, tulibee, chubs, suckers.....ect. So I tend to through flies from 5 - 8" for smallmouth almost exclusively once summer arrives through late fall. Yet if you were to fish a different river system dominated by dace, silversides, and fatheads, the fly range would be more on the 2-4" range. My point was simply not to standardize your fly size based off of the predator, but the system itself. Most popper silhouette mimic tadpole and frogs in my opinion which average in the standardized fly size for smallmouth poppers, but I need something to imitate the larger baitfish that occur in my area. Plus, when fish are active, they will tackle just about anything, and going as big as I can has always been more fun for me personally.
Sweet action bro. Thanks!
Can the faux deer hair be spun the same way real hair is?
Unfortunately no, the Faux Bucktail is much to stiff and is a completely solid fiber
Ah... Here is a good use of the faux bucktail!