Like most fly fisherman I really enjoy targetting fish on poppers and the bass that inhabit all of of small ponds and empoundments around Pretoria are ideal victims

Key aspects to this popper are the hook style, the loco foam and the rattle

Grocery List:
  • An eagle claw worm hook - it's got a very wide gape and a really cool spring steel weedless clip. The weedless clip works really well and really lets you throw the fly deep into trouble...
  • Saltwater pearl flashabou - bass love it!
  • Chartreuse and Red saddle hackles
  • Chartreuse loco foam - it's got a great "oil slick" finish.
  • A picasso rattle
  • Chartreuse UV brush
  • Frantic eyes, 8mm


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Step 1:
Lay a decent thread base along the shank of your hook and tie in 7 or 8 strands of saltwater pearl flashabou. You can really see the gape of the Eagle claw hook, ideal for poppers!
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Step 2:
Tie in the picasso rattle, the sound really attracts fish and allows you to fish the popper slower and more subtly than usual if need be. Tie in the first red hackles for the tail, matching the shape of the hackles to the right side of the fly. All poppers need red in their tail
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Step 3:
Add the last hackles
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Step 4:
Cut the foam to shape and glue it over the rattle using CA/super glue.
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Step 5:
Cut a small 3-4mm hole in the top of the popper, this changes the characteristic of the "plop" quite a bit and helps when targetting fish that have seen a lot of poppers.
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Step 6:
Tie in the UV Brush and wrap forward to the popper body.
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Step 7:
Add the holo eyes and you're ready to go fishing!
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