Yellow Poppers

Tier:  Steve Phillips

Hook:  Mustad #33903 Kink Shanked.
Body:  Hand shaped balsa painted with acrylic paint with several coats of clear acrylic spray.
Tails:  Marabou feathers.
Hackle:  Yellow grizzly.
Note:  Vary the recipe to suite your taste. 

Instructions:

These poppers are made on Mustad #33903 hooks. 

Step 1:  Select a piece of square balsa that is hook gap size and cut it into lengths from eye to just past the hook point.  Slot it lengthwise for the hook with an x-acto saw. 

Step 2:  Wrap a hook with thread to hook bend and back (neatness doesn't count here) and coat it with a super glue gel.  Apply glue to the slot in the body and mount the body on the hook. Be careful to maintain a good hook gap.  If the glue doesn't completely fill the slot in the bug body and the body, and hook shank seem secure, force a little plastic wood into the slot. It takes paint better than glue.  I make several up to this point. 

Step 3: Sand with emery boards after the glue is dry.  You could also carve them to a rough shape first, and then sand, but I don't think it's any quicker. 

Step 4:  After sanding into shape I apply a coat of paint, then spray with clear acrylic, then another coat of paint, and glue the eyes on. This is also when I add any contrasting colors of paint or marksalot. After that, just add coats of clear acrylic spray until they are glossy enough to suit you.