[Chiefly Fly'n]

I've been interested in Capt. Gary Dubiel's Pop N Fly rig for using popping corks and streamers on the fly rod... and finally got around to grabbing some materials from inventory and making a few and testing them out on the water. Seems to work really good. Check out his videos on You Tube etc. for using the rig to catch big drum.

Made with a simple foam cylinder and a metal shank for tying articulated flies....or see the shanks or ready-made "corks" at Flymen Fishing Co.

The flat faced corks create an excellent "disturbance" on the surface....and are pretty easily cast on a 10 wt outfit. I haven't tried smaller corks and a lighterweight outfit.

 

[captgordon]

Just tie a leader to the hook bend of a regular popper. That way if the fish hits the popper he still gets hooked. It works. Been doing it for a long time. Don't need a special rig.

 

[Chiefly Fly'n]

A lot of folks have been doing the same thing for freshwater bass, trout etc. (e.g. hopper dropper etc). I gather very few have been doing it in saltwater....although popping cork rigs are obviously quite popular with spinning rods, bait, gulp etc. I don't know if there was a particular reason not to do a big saltwater popper with a stainless hook instead of making a foam cylinder one....

 

[Kev2380]

I really appreciate you posting this regardless. I was looking for info on how to make the rig myself. I wasn't sure what size foam cylinders he was using. Nice how everything's setup for you. I wouldn't mind trying the popper and tying off the bend of the hook I just feel there's more chances of failure doing it that way.

 

[NCTribute]

You can throw the 5/8" foam cylinder fine with an 8 wt using a redfish, or similar, taper fly line. Put a shrimp fly on the end and you have a great redfish and speckled trout rig.

 

[catmaster]

Those big ones will eat anything they do not care

 

[RouseD]

Thanks Richard and captgordon.

 

[captgordon]

https://instagram.com/p/5PgwGHtswK/

See if that link works. It shows a popper/dropper rig I tied with a 1 inch diameter foam core from craft store and a Hollow Fleye streamer. I casted it for three hours straight, backhanded, with the wind on Saturday with no problem. We didn't see many fish and I got no bites but it made an identical noise and racket to the popping corks my friends were casting on spinning rods and I am 100% confident it will work. I did switch my fly to one with a little more weight in it so it would do a little more up and down action in the water.

 

[Scott Hobbs]

Nice, I don't see why that won't pull in a bull red. I have seen them bust the corks multiple times before they hit the lure. Even with the fly trailing high in the water column, it should work.

Good luck

 

[dbeam]

Hmmmm! thanks for the post. Another question how do you tie streamers so the the pinfish don't pluck clean? I semi floating streamer may not be too bad, but I can't jigs to last with anything less than triple wrapped bucktail.

Darrell

 

[captgordon]

Pinfish aren't a problem when there are schools of 30 pound redfish

 

[Mechanic Bob]

CaptGordon, could you please detail the leader you are using?

 

[captgordon]

http://flylifemagazine.com/tips-about-your-leader/