Hook: Mustad 3366 size 4 , Thread:
Black Danvile PlusTying the Pac-Man Popper
by Mike Hogue
Last year I was at a show and found an antique popper from the 50's which I am told was called the "Dillie" Bug. It was made by the Webber Fly Co. and was very popular when my Dad was younger. The main attraction in making this bug is that the bug floats with the hook down. In addition, the bug floats with only the lip exposed , making the fly ideal for spooky bass.
After some failed attempts, I figured this one out. The two keys here are over sizing the hackle and mounting the foam in the proper place. If the foam is too high the bug won't float right.
When I finished making this bug it looked very much like Pac-Man which was a very popular game when I was in college. As I have explained before, when I name something, the name sticks reguardless of how stupid it is. Hence , the name "Pac-Man". So here goes...............
Pac Man Popper
Hook: Mustad 3366 size 4 , Thread:
Black Danvile Plus
Tail: Gold Holographic Flash-a-bou
Hackle: Yellow Chinese neck or Capon
Body 1/2 " Live body , Eye: Med. 3D Holographic
Tying Instructions:
1) Slice a 1/2 " piece of Live Body about 1/4" thick. To make the slice, imagine that you are cutting a thick chunk off of a summer sausage or a loaf of bread with a knife. Do the same thing with a piece of Live Body. It helps to use a new double edge razor blade to do this. You get about 4 cuts before the blade dulls.
2) Take a bodkin and punch a hole
through the Live Body along the the bottom 20% of the section. The graphic
at the right shows how to punch the hole. Force the hook thru the hole and
slide the Live Body on to the hook shank. Move the Body to the end of the
hook and wrap the hook shank w/ thread. Cut off thread.
3) Apply Zap-a-Gap to the hook shank and pull the body on to the the thread wraps.
4) Tie in 20 strands of Holo Flash-a-bou on to the back of the hook. Select oversized hackle from a Chinese neck. The hackle should be 1 1/2 times the gap of the hook. If you use hackle too small, the bug will not suspend properly. If in doubt, use bigger rather than smaller hackle.Wrap hackle.
5) Get a round ball Dremel bit to carve out the face. If you don't have
a Dremel, you can use an 
electric drill,
as the bit will fit in to a standard drill. The cut is made by shaping the
corner of the front only as illustrated at the right. The area in red is
the section you remove. Take your time, because it is easy to remove too
much.
6) If you take too much out the, bug will look like Jaws not Mr. Pac-Man. The correct completed head looks like the one at the right. Color the area cut out with a red marker.
7) Attach eyes with Zap-a-Gap. You're done! Pac-Man Fever strikes again! Remember that awful disco song? Let's hope it never comes back. That song sucked big time.
For more Info Contact:
Mike Hogue / Badger Creek Fly Tying / 622 West Dryden Road, Freeville, NY 13068
Phone: 607-347-4946