Fly Tying: Crease Popper
If you like topwater flies that make a lot of noise, the Crease Popper is right up your alley. With a big foam head that pops, spits water, and creates plenty of commotion on the surface, this fly is a great way to get the attention of hungry bass and other predatory fish.
The best part? It’s surprisingly simple to tie. It’s actually more gluing than tying. A couple pieces of foam, some glue, and whatever tail material you’ve got lying around are pretty much all you need.
In this Crease Popper fly tying tutorial, we’ll walk through the process of putting one together without making things more complicated than they need to be.
Crease Popper Materials
- Stinger Hook (size 4-2/0)
- For the hook, we need something with a longer shank and wide gap. Stinger hooks fit the mold perfectly here. We need a hook that has space to tie in the foam without impacting our ability to set the hook.
- Tail Material
- You can honestly use whatever material you’d like for the tail- I’ve used a bunch of different stuff. Because the main feature of this fly is the foam popping action, I’ve found that the tail matters less than it does on other patterns. But we gotta have a tail on there anyway! Here are some of my favorites:
- Bucktail
- Hackle Feathers
- Rabbit Fur
- You can honestly use whatever material you’d like for the tail- I’ve used a bunch of different stuff. Because the main feature of this fly is the foam popping action, I’ve found that the tail matters less than it does on other patterns. But we gotta have a tail on there anyway! Here are some of my favorites:
- 6mm Foam
- We’re gonna need some thick foam to create the wide head that creates the commotion on the surface. Some foam in the 6mm range should do the job. You can even double up some thin stuff if you don’t have anything thick.
- 2mm Foam
- The thin foam will give us the cap that helps spit water. 2mm foam does great here.
- Eyes
- Eyes are typically optional on flies, but I think they’re pretty vital here. They really make this pattern come alive. Larger eyes fit the foam best, so I generally stick with the big guys.
Crease Popper Tying Steps
Pre-Cut Foam
To start off, I like to prepare the foam for the Crease Popper. This makes the tying/gluing process of this fly much faster. By doing this, we can bust out a bunch of these flies in one sitting.
After some experimentation, these “home plate” looking shapes get the job done. They allow for the front of the fly to stay nice and sturdy, which creates the popping mechanism. As it thins out toward the hook bend, we create space for the hook to penetrate the fish’s mouth with ease.
To create these, the length should be about the length of the hook shank. So measure that out and then try to match these home plate shapes as best as you can. You can always trim excess off with a razor blade when it’s secured to hook.
Thread Base + Add Tail (and Optional Flash)
First off, we need to give the hook shank a really thick base of thread. This will give us a nice gluing spot for the foam to come later. Cover your hook shank with 2-3 layers of thread and we’ll be good to go.
Next up, take your tail material (bucktail here) and secure it in.
The length of the tail is up to you. I like at least a hook shank in length and no longer than twice the hook shank. Anywhere in that range would work well.
This is also a good chance to add some flash. Like all flash, the amount is up to you as well. Since the Crease Popper relies on the loud popping sound to draw in fish, I typically only add a touch flash. Because why not?
Add Thick Foam
Drop some glue on top of the shank and glue the thick piece right down the middle. From there, add some to the edges of the foam and pinch them together. Hold there for 20-30 seconds.
If it’s being fussy, you can also add more glue or even UV resin to really hold it in place.
Add Thin Foam
Once the thick foam is set, drop some more glue on top of the foam. Then secure the thin foam on top of the thick stuff and hold it in place. I like a little foam sticking forward toward the hook eye so the water spits forward.
As you’re securing this foam, fill in any bare spots with more glue. This may take a little tinkering, but as long as all the foam is nice and secure, we’re in a good spot.
Add Eyes
Take your eyes and glue them on either side of the foam. Once secured, I like to add a few more drops on top to ensure that they’ll stay put.
The eyes on this pattern really make the Crease Popper come alive. Of course, the main point of this fly is the commotion it creates on the surface, but the eyes add a realistic look that I think is important. Do the fish care? Probably not. Do they look cool? Hell yes they do!
Optional: Color It Up
You can really let your creative side go to town on this pattern. The foam is a great canvas for your artistic side.
With the Crease Popper, you can color it any way you want. Grab a marker and add froggy colors or baitfish patterns to your heart’s desire. Some people go as far as using spray paint and creating beautiful works of art on these flies. Some really impressive stuff is out there!
For that, I’ll leave it up to you. I typically keep things pretty simple with the colors, mostly sticking with whatever color foam I’ve used. If adding a cool pattern to the fly gives you confidence, let it rip. If keeping things basic does the job for you, stick with that.
