About Bonds

Curious about popping bugs

Question:
Some years ago on an episode of Walker's Cay Chronicle, Flip Pallot was bass fishing in Mexico with a popping bug you designed. How do you make the body and what are the proportions?

Robert Craig
Gainesville, Florida

Answer:
Over a 20-year period I developed what I feel is the best popping bug I've ever tried. A well-designed bug has little air resistance on the cast, the tail rarely fouls on the hook, it pops every time you twitch it, it's attractive to many species, it can be retrieved quietly or noisily, and it lifts easily and quietly from the surface for the backcast. This particular bug does all that.

Pages 76-86 in my book Presenting the Fly explain much about popping bugs. On page 80 there's an excellent drawing of the bug I prefer. It can be constructed out of cork, Livebody or similar types of light, durable foam.

-Lefty

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