Balsa Wood Poppers
by
Hank Gilliam

Photography & text by Jorge Villares
 

Notes about the fly tier:  Hank has been tying flies for over twenty years.  When he sits to tie flies, he blends his many years of fishing and fly tying  with his engineering profession.  He ties like nobody else. His techniques and tools are unique and always with purpose. Hanks ties balsa wood poppers partly to save money, occupy his free time, but the most importantly to create the best fly for catching bass and bluegills.   Hank paints his popper in different colors because there are days when the fish will hit red, white or yellow.  His favorite is white with  glitter sparkles. Hank uses cotton thread to dress the hook because waxed thread will not absorb the Super Glue®.  The whole idea is to keep the body from rotating on the hook.  The glue soaked cotton thread provides a strong bonds to the wood. Kink shank hooks also work well in preventing the body from rotating but with Hank's method, these are not necessary. The proper technique is always to push the blade away from you.  Please be very careful.

Materials

Hook:	Stinger Mustad 37187 size 1/0 - 10 Popper Mustad 80300BR size 2 - 10 Popper Kink shank Mustad Sproat Various sizes Sproat Wide Gap Mustad 3399 size 6/0 - 1/0, 2 - 16
Thread:	Any color Cotton or Cotton covered Polyester Fly tying thread 3/0 or preferably kevlar
Tail:	Any color Marabou
Skirt:	Any color wet-hackle feather
Legs:	round rubber
Body:	Balsa Wood is various sizes
Paint:	Any type or color of nail polish and clear nail polish or acrylic craft paint (not house paint)
Eyes:	(optional, painted or stick-on)
Weed Guard:	15# or 20# monofilament

	Inscribe a centerline on the balsa wood block
	Cut face at an angle (10 - 30 degrees)
	Determine and mark the length of the body. The body length should be equal to the hook shank less room at the eye to tie weed guard.
	Carve with a sharp knife (watch those fingers), sand it and cutoff (my wife's emery boards work great for this.).
	Dress the hook with the cotton thread.  Place a piece of monofilament for weed guard on top of the hook and wrap it thread down the bend of the hook.  It is necessary to wrap the mono very far down the bend to make the mono bend with the hook.
	Saw a slot on the centerline you marked. Invert the hook on the vise. Slip the head on the hook. Leave enough room by the eye of the hook because this is the place where  the weed guard will be tied off. Make sure the head is align with the hook and then apply Super-Glue. Let it set for about one minute.
	To cover the slot, apply dry spackling paste while the glue still is tacky. This will also help in drying the glue. After a few minutes, you may sand the body again to suit your taste.
	Drill the holes for the legs. (Tip: use a forceps to hold the hook and keep you fingers away from the drill bit.  It is possible to skip this step and just drive a strong needle through the wood at the time to put the legs.)
	Paint and decorate the body to your heart's desire.  Add the eyes and seal the body with the clear nail polish.
	Use fly tying thread, tie a tail and glue it. Then, tie a skirt and glue it.
	Finish weed guard.  Wrap some thread behind the eye of the hook.  Put the monofilament through the eye of the hook.  Then, use flat pliers to conform the monofilament to the shank of the hook. While holding the  the pliers on the mono, make a wraps of the tread on the mono and whip finish.  Cut the the mono and apply glue
	To install the legs get a needle and thread.  Take the needle through the holes drilled previously.  Make a loop with the thread by taking the needle in the opposite direction through the body again.  Put the rubber material through the thread loop and then pull on the thread.  The rubber should pull through the body.  Trim the legs to the size you want. Seal the body again specially by the legs.