Cool. I already have some hide glue I use for guitar and mandolin building/repair.

I finally got around to tying up a couple of the Hells Bay Hoppers that I referenced above.





Of course I can never leave well enough alone and tie something like I'm supposed to, so I made a few changes. Both examples have the glass rattle on the opposite side of the hookshank from the bend (what was the top, but will now be the bottom). However, while the orange chenille covers the rattle on the top example, the mylar tubing contains the noisemaker on the bottom. I decided to leave the frayed mylar at the front of the bottom one to simulate gills. Because of that, I did not add legs to that version. It's a bit hard to see in either picture, but the chenille on the bottom hopper is olive.

Of course the feather tail was replaced in both cases with spinnerbait skirt, as per my agreement with the Rubber Manufactuers' Association.

I'll be interested to see if the smaller amount of foam on the orange one makes it sit lower in the water or even sink. Both should have a pretty interesting action. I used 1/0 Gamakatsu (HAI!) B10S hooks and, as usual, managed to remind myself how sharp they are. Let's hope some hungry bass tests them as well.

Those look good to me!

Thanks, Kelly.

Nice! I've been tying prototypes forever of hook point up surface flies. I know you've seen this
http://bp1.blogger.com/_OUpT9FEKhgo/SGGvuD4G6sI/AAAAAAAAAGU/muYxVjvbV58/s1600-h/IMGP3584.JPG
I've been working to this design. A lot of them stay hook point up then flip over during the retrieve. Trying to fix that, stay tuned...

Does it spin or just turn over hook point down on the retrieve and stay there as you strip it in?

Spinning isn't so much of a problem when it's in the water as it is when flying through the air! I've begun using a small swivel between the fly line and leader or between the leader and tippet. Sure has made the twisting problem go away!

I've considered that a thousand times, but just never done it. I need to put it into use.

Here are a couple more upside down frogs I tied today, as well as a clouser/streamer deerhair bream thing.


The one I had tied up previously is really working well. I've only gotten one strike on it, but I pulled it out of the fish's mouth before it could connect. Apparently the only time I have cat-like reflexes is when I'm assuring that a popper striking bass can go free.

I've only hung the original on a couple of lilypads and that's when I get in a hurry swimming it under them and not being gentle in extracting it. Going slowly seems to let the deerhair act in its role as a weedguard, while yanking it burries it in the pad.



Our R&D department is nothing if not responsive. Gib suggestion lead to the wave of the future. The orange and yellow frog is the first to feature the Gibb-Style Butt, which will revolutionize the Upside Down Frog Industry.



You'll also notice that there is a bit of lead wire peeking out from the GSB. The lead tape didn't last very long on the original prototype and it seems to work well without it, so I tried wrapping a little lead wire just opposite of the hook barb. We'll see how that works. I also used fewer pieces of skirt on these frogs to see if that improves the castability of this series. I may trim the grey skirt shorter on the 'gill colored one and see how that affects casting.

I also trimmed the hair a bit along the hookshank just in front of the hook point to make sure there was enough relief to allow for a good hookset...I hope.

The streamer thing is something I'm curious to try on floating and sinking line. We'll see if it floats on its own or not. It's another entry in my attempt to find something that will move through the American Pondweed without dragging half the weedbed back to the boat with it. If nothing else, it should push some water.

Hopefully I'll get to test these tomorrow.

Oh these look excellent. Great job!!!

Look good!

Thanks, folks.

my bentback divers are weedless; you can throw them in the surface scum and they'l come out upright

here's the hook and how I bend it; add a few wraps of .25 lead on the lowest part of the inverted hook will help it turn over

Hey, it turned out pretty well! Cool and glad I could suggest

The rest look really good! Cant wait too hear how they turn out.

I picked up some Mustad frog-style hooks from Academy the other day. They have lead added to the back end of the hook.

Going to try some frog designs on them. Trying to imitate a Spro frog, hope it works.