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How To Tie Lefty's Kreh “Classic Popper”
Smallmouth Popper
Recipe: Hook: pencil popper hooks with pre-made Styrofoam heads Thread: color to match tail. I like to uselight gray UTC 140 Tail: Squirrel tail (gray or natural) Body: pre-made foam glued down in-between the hook
I don’t know if you will be able to find this exact molding. They are kind of hard to find on the market, but another way you could tie this is with the pencil poppers. They have the pre-made styrofoam that comes together as a set. You can get away with coloring the foam any color you want. This is a very simple pattern that does not require any complicated steps. This pattern is an oldie but goodie. Probably one of Lefty Kreh’s first top water poppers.
TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1.
Get the thread started behind the body.
Step 2.
Tie in the squirrel. The tail is fairly long so make sure you cut the hair as close to the hide as you can. Squirrel tail hair isn’t that long anyways. I like to cut mine closer to the tip of the tail. The bottom of the tail, the hair seems to be shorter.
Step 3.
That is pretty much it. Whip finish the fly and your done. Just make sure you tie in the hair to where it doesn’t slip out. Tie it in tight and make enough turns and it should be fine. Glue it with some gloss coat and your good to go.
NOTE: If you don’t have the pre-made hooks with the head then you will need to glue the Styrofoam style ones. Then you can paint the white with prismacolor markers to anything you want it to look like. Solid or patterns on it. Use your imagination. The skies the limit.
