Painting saltwater poppers

[Wmass]

I am getting some stuff together to try my hand at saltwater tying and I got some popper materials, anyone know what to use to paint these suckers and/or how to paint them? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Fredrick]

Use a metalic flash stick on tape
http://www.southjerseycoastalflyanglers.com/flys/bobs_banger_tie.htm

 

[afishinado]

I have a dryer motor for rod building and usually dip them. Most store-bought poppers are dipped in paint (like Testors hobby paint) while holding the them (I use forceps) by the hook bend. They are put on a dryer motor to rotate them while they dry. The feathers and dodads are tied on after they are dry. Some of the nicer ones are than air brushed. Fred, you should think about buying us an air-brush... ;-)

 

[Fishidiot]

I use basic artist's acrylic paints for poppers although I agree an enamel paint might be better. If the poppers you're painting are made of the softer, foam like material (rather than hard plasctic or wood), I like to thin the acrylic paint considerably. Once dry, I give 'em a coat of spray polyurathane. A rotating dryer like Afish uses would be helpful but acrylic and polyurathane dries fast so just turn 'em a few times for a few minutes and you should see good coverage. Always remember to paint/finish the heads BEFORE tying the rest of the popper.

 

[tomgamber]

I went into claire's boutique (women do know where to find stuff) in the mall and bought 99 cent nail polish inculding a clear coat that really looks great. They had any color you want, some even with glitter and all their own brush included. I highly reccomend...real paint is too expensive.

 

[Wmass]

tomgamber wrote:
I went into claire's boutique (women do know where to find stuff) in the mall and bought 99 cent nail polish inculding a clear coat that really looks great. They had any color you want, some even with glitter and all their own brush included. I highly reccomend...real paint is too expensive.

I use something similar to this sometimes as an alternative to fly head cement so I guess it should work. Hobby paint does seem like it will be pricey and for a few bucks I can get a ton of cheap nail-polish. Does the nail-polish work? Does it hold up to the elements?

 

[tomgamber]

Here are two done with the polish...both still kicking and have used them and caught fish on them. 2 coats color and one coat clear usually does the trick.

http://www.paflyfish.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=3324&forum=16&post_id=30969#forumpost30969

BTW..there are a lot of nice popper ties in that thread.

 

[pete41]

I use wide tip perm.marking pens on my shads
not salable but the fish by them.