SBS For A Frog Popper

From time to time, we get requests to do a step by step of our poppers.  I did a very basic one here a while ago regarding the stippling of eyes and spots on the body.  This time around as I was tying for Christmas presents, I decided to do some quick shots as I added material to the size 10 Fish Foolin' Frog popper. Sorry about the lighting.  Best I could do.   All materials used, aside from the popper bodies, are from Hareline Dubbin, Inc.  Please feel free to comment or ask questions.  There are no secrets here and we are always willing to help others.  Why reinvent the wheel if you don't have to?  Not that I am an expert but I have learned some stuff through trial and error.  Mostly, I have learned what not to do!

First up, the finished popper body is placed in the vise

Next thread is added.  I use size 8/0 for all of our poppers.  After the thread comes the calf tail.  This is tied in right behind the popper body and then the thread is wrapped back to the bend of the hook. 

Next up is the hackle.  I personally like the hackle to match the body and tail as much as possible.  For this one I use dyed olive grizzly saddle hackle.  The hackle is secured right at the bend of the hook.  The thread is advanced right to about the midway point of the hook which is usually just over the point of the hook.

After the thread has been advanced to above the hook point, the legs are added.  Again, this is really up to the tier as to what they use.  We like the grizzly barred rubber legs by Hareline.  I have found that other leg material such as Sili legs tends to (a) break easily and (b) weigh the fly down.  The rubber legs actually help with balance and buoyancy as well.  The legs are added to each side in an X.  The right side is added first and then the left.  Well really that's how I do it but not sure it really matters.  After the legs are secured with some wraps of thread, the thread is now advanced to right behind the body of the popper. After that is done, the hackle is advanced to right behind the body of the popper where it is tied off.  A few turns of the whip finisher tool and you are done.  

The finished product: 

Happy Holidays

We, at J&M Flies, would like to wish everyone a very Happy Holidays.  We would also like to say thank you for being loyal fans, followers and customers over the past year.  We do hope you continue to follow us into the new year.  We have some new ideas, a website, a possible contest and other assorted goodies planned for the upcoming year.  Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Thanks.

Jeff and Melissa
J&M Flies

Some Orders Heading Out

Here are some orders heading out for Christmas.  Good stuff if I do say so myself!

Tying Area Redone

I told you all that we reorganized and revamped the tying area.  It had really gotten out of control.  It is amazing to me just how much shit I have and how little I seem to put stuff away.  I will also state that I found some stuff that I forgot I had which was great.  So they say a picture is worth a thousand words well here is a bunch of photos:

Tying Up Some Christmas Presents

Hello old friend.  It has been a while since we last saw each other.  Yep, I spent  yesterday at the vise.  Let me tell you, it was good to be back.  Pretty sure the vise enjoyed the workout as well.  I had some orders to fill for Christmas presents with most of them being poppers.  So, I decided to wear my new T.F.M. shirt while doing so.  I have to be honest, I was hoping that this would be the first sighting of the new design. It really is a cool shirt which is why I had to have one.  The shirt has poppers and bluegill on it.  Enough said...right?  I mean what better way to spend a day off than by tying up poppers for Christmas presents while wearing your new T.F.M. shirt?   I even broke out my new T.F.M. hoodie for my lunch date with Melissa.  It was a popper tying and T.F.M. apparel wearing kind of day and boy was it a blast!

So I Know The World Is Ending Tomorrow But...

I need your vote.  I totally forgot about the T.F.M. spotting contest and I am a finalist for October (not a typo, Cameron is running two months together).  I submitted some photos of my trip to Mossy Creek while I was wearing some T.F.M. gear.  It isn't the most attractive photo of me but hey whatever.  While you are voting for me, check out Cameron's site.  He has a lot of great T.F.M. gear.  I believe I am the proud owner of one hoodie, three T-shirts, a Comrade sun mask and a partridge in a pear tree (get my witty Holiday pun?).  Can you ever really have too much T.F.M. gear?  No probably not.  I have been a fan of Cameron's site for a long time now.  The site is great and contains a lot of awesome information regarding the reemergence of the fiberglass fly rod.  There is a problem though with visiting the site.  A word of caution needs to be told here dear reader as Cameron and his site are akin to the crack dealer with the fiberglass rod being the crack.  You will become addicted and quickly I might add.  Before you know it, you will be searching evilbay for those vintage fiberglass rods, checking out Red Truck fly fishing or drooling over the new Graywolf rods.  Every time I pop over there, I constantly find myself questioning my finances and wondering (a) what I can buy without Melissa noticing or (b) if she does notice, how much trouble will I be in and (c) will it be worth it?

So if you need to see the photos, head over to http://thefiberglassmanifesto.blogspot.com/2012/12/voteand-vote-again.html and check them out.  If you just want to vote for me because I am the greatest and you all already love me, please send an email to Cameron at tfmcontests@gmail.com and tell him that the clear winner for October is Jeff Price and that you are voting for him!  And remember that while the world may be ending tomorrow, that is no reason not to vote.

Winter Blues/Recap

Well it has been over a month since my last post.  Where does the time go?  Thanksgiving came and went and now Christmas is a short nine days a way.  Relatives have come to stay and come for holiday dinner.  Holiday parties and plays have been attended, photographed and watched with pride. It has been a busy month indeed.  Time stands still for no man it seems.  I have been slacking lately due to the winter blues.  Well winter blues and the Xbox.  I have to admit that I discovered Medal of Honor Warfighter and Assassins Creed III.  I tend to be like a crack addict with both.  I do believe though that I would make an excellent assassin just judging from my game play.  There have been a few days here and there that had nice weather.  I, of course, couldn't get out due to my full time job.  I had high hopes of switching to trout this winter and stepping up my game.  Right now that doesn't seem like a possibility.  My local TU chapter went out to Beaver Creek fly shop to do some fishing and hear a lecture on fishing the creek.  I wish I had been able to go.

We have been busy though cleaning things up.  The tying area has been reorganized and rearranged.  I have a habit, as most tiers probably do, of leaving shit all over the tying desk and shoving materials in any old drawer.  We changed that or so I hope.  We eliminated four storage units and consolidated materials.  Melissa bought some bigger storage units which greatly improved things.  At least I can't be blamed for how the room looks in general as I share it with two tornadoes who use the room to play the Wii as well as watch television.  Apparently neither of them can figure out how to put stuff back or away.  Amazing to say the least.  I have some photos of the new area I will post soon.  I was amazed at how much hackle I have!

We are caught up on orders and have been for some time.  A few recently have rolled in due to Christmas.  I will be turning those out shortly.  I want to get back to work on the size 4s and 6s we have waiting to be painted.  We are looking to branch out some in size.  Our first run of 4s are probably going to be Fire Tigers and Grey Ghosts.  I will, of course, post photos when they are completed. 

Melissa, who has been slacking as well, is working on a website for us and hopefully some shirts.  I would like to start getting some swag out and spreading the word about J&M Flies.  In March there is a fly fishing and tying show in Bethesda, MD that we are hoping to attend.  If we make it, it will be our first one.  We are both excited and nervous about it.  Poppers are a speciality and a seasonal fly.  I hope we will do well but those that have bought from us know that we deliver a solid product with a marvelous paint job if I do say so myself (I can because I do thee stippling).

So that is where we are currently at J&M Flies.  We will be back in production soon and more updates/postings will be forth coming.  On a side note, remember to never take anything or anyone for granted.  What happened in CT was unforgivable and a tragedy.  I, nor anyone else, will ever understand why that man did what he did.  Remember that life is precious and to never take it for granted.  Hug your kids, hug your loved one and cherish them as well as life in general.  We only get one ride.  Enough said.