My popper sailed through the air, skipping like a stone across the surface to rest inches from the shaded bank. There, beneath overhanging branches, submerged rocks of the levee hold back the rising Delta flows, providing cool hiding places for crawdads, places where bass have ventured, hungry for an early morning snack.
I let rest the fly I fashioned of balsawood, allowing all the rippling rings of water to disappear. I short-strip the fly line. Bloop . . . bloop, bloop, pause Bam! The water explodes. A surprised smallmouth cart-wheels into the air, throws the hook, crashes back beneath the surface, and disappears into its watery sanctuary. My heart pounds with a familiar adrenaline rush, that jolt of electricity racing through my body with every suck of a hungry bass, gills flaring.
I love casting poppers and never tire of the joy and satisfaction of a well-executed cast, rewarded by the slurp of the scaly, finned creature. Equally, I have long been in love with fly tying. Recently I have been fashioning poppers out of balsawood. My friend Leo Guttierez turned me on to them. They’re fun and easy to make. Here’s how.
Begin by selecting a length of balsa. It’s available at craft stores such as Michaels and Hobby Lobby. Decide what will be the bottom of the fly and saw a groove down the length’s center deep enough to countersink a hook shank. Decide what is the front and make a downward-angled cut from the top to the bottom, creating a diagonal face. Get a 100 grit-sanding block and run the top of the popper over the grit surface, sanding a downward curve into the back end. When you are satisfied with the taper and curvature of the upper part of the body, round all the edges. You’re done with shaping the wood.
Choose an appropriate-length kink-shanked hook such as the Tiemco 5115, allowing enough shank length to extend past the body a quarter of an inch or more. This extension provides the space for tying in a tail. The kink keeps the hook from rotating. Epoxy the hook in the popper’s bottom slot and let it cure. When it’s dry and hard, sand the bottom smooth, and you are ready to paint the popper.
Painting poppers is fun, and the possibilities are endless. You can use spray paint, or fingernail polish, as I do, or markers — whatever you want. When the paint is dry, glue on some eyes or paint them. Color the front of the popper red. You can add a red gill slit to the sides, if you want. Last, tie in a length of Krystal Flash, Flashabou, marabou or all the above behind the popper body for a tail. You are done making your popper. I find peace working the soft, light balsa, enjoying each step — the cutting, sanding, and painting. Time will fly by as your popper takes shape. The creative possibilities are endless, limited only by your imagination.. After finishing the first one, you’ll want to do more — I guarantee it. You might become a popper junkie. Take your popper to your local pond, lake, or river and be prepared for the rush when a bass mistakes it for something delectably irresistible.
— Andy Guibord
