Fishing top water for bass makes for a fun, non-technical day on the water with plenty of suspense as you work your fly. This pattern appears intimidating to tie, but it’s pretty straight forward and quick after your first few.
The Froggy sits pretty low in the water, but the highly buoyant front end positions it to chug and spit some water when you strip it in. I have had better success with slow, soft “bloops,” placing lots of pause between them. Fish usually eat it as it rests, and the bite is usually either a gulp or sip.
The rear legs kick but the rubber legs also move during the strip. If there is any chop on the water, the fly has some action but stays put. I usually have my best success casting it to the edge and letting it sit for about 30 seconds before retrieving (like most fly anglers, I too can be impatient and, well, I can rarely wait beyond 18 seconds).
If fishing in rivers, usually we need to start retrieving the pattern immediately, a downstream mend after the cast encourages the pattern to move across the current rather than upstream, which is unnatural for a frog. More than just for smallmouth bass, you can fish these in trout rivers if looking for fewer fish, but a bigger fish.
Summertime – lily pads, drop-offs and log jams all make for ideal places to cast to both small and largemouth bass. Because this pattern is relatively lightweight, you can get away with using lighter tippet than large balsa and foam patterns typically require. If you lose a pattern to structure, they are easy to replace.
While casters with good technique can cast this pattern with a 6 wt., a 7 wt. makes it that much easier. On windy days an 8 wt. is an option. Scientific Angler’s Redfish Taper makes an excellent line for casting poppers.
When I decided to tie a frog pattern, I looked online and saw a few patterns others have tied. I borrowed parts from some of those and incorporated them into this design; that was a while ago and I can’t recall who to give due credit to, but thanks.
You can change the color of the belly foam – try white or chartreuse – I’d suggest tying all three.
Recipe:
Hook: Gamakatsu B10S Nano TWS #4
Thread: Fly Master Plus – Cream
Foam: Belly – 2 mm tan/cream
Back – 2 mm olive
Rear Legs: Craft Fur – medium olive
Leg Bump: Estaz – Gold
Body Flash: UV Polar Chenille – Gold
Legs: Sili-Legs – Olive /black
Eye: Foam Cylinder – 3/16”, Black
Tying Instructions
Step 1. Insert hook into vise and wrap with thread from hook eye to above point. Apply gel super glue
and let dry to provide some surface texture to keep materials from sliding around on hook.
You can prepare a few hooks prior to tying.
Step 2. Prepare belly foam by cutting a taper with squared off point.
The width of foam should be the same dimension as the hook gape.
Step 3. Tie the tapered end of the foam along the underside of the hook from the mid-point of the shank backwards.
TIP: Thread will often cut through the foam when applying too much pressure. To avoid that, use light/loose
wraps over a larger area and once the foam is partially compressed, increase the pressure to solidly tie in.
Step 4. Prepare the legs by making two separate clumps of craft fur. Each amount is slightly larger than a pencil. Remove the short “under fur” and discard.
Step 5. Using tippet/mono – make a double overhand knot.
Step 6. Slide the craft fur through the loop and draw tight about an inch + from the tips.
Trim excess mono.
Step 7. Tie one leg in on the top/side of the hook with the tips pointed forward. Then, tie in the second leg.
Step 8. Trim the craft fur butts at the foam. Tie in Estaz and wrap over the wraps securing the legs.
Step 9. Pull one leg backwards and wrap in front of the craft fur so the Estaz helps bump out the leg.
Repeat on the other leg.
Step 10. Tie in and wrap UV Polar Chenille forward stopping well short of behind the eye.
Step 11. Pull the foam to form the belly and tie off just behind the eye. Leaving excess,
fold the foam back again to create the bottom “lip” of the frog and tie off.
Step 12. Trim the foam about 1/8 inch behind the tie down wraps to improve
durability as well as some more “bloop” when you fish the pattern.
Step 13. Prepare the back foam making it the same width or slightly wider than the belly foam.
Cut a double point on one end. For perspective pictured are 4” Dr. Slick All Purpose scissors.
Step 14. Tie the olive/back foam so the points extend to above the bend of the hook.
Step 15. Cut a foam cylinder 1/8” larger than the olive foam.
Step 16. Place the cylinder on the olive foam and pull the
olive foam over to determine top lip and location of cylinder.
Sept 17. Apply gel super glue to the olive foam, place cylinder on foam and pull olive foam over and tie down.
Step 18. Trim a “V” in the olive foam.
Step 19. Tie in two sili/rubber legs on each side of the fly in the middle of the legs.
Step 20. Take a small piece of leftover belly foam (or another color if you want it brighter) as a tracker to
help you see it when fishing. Tie off. If using a whip finisher, an extended reach/long model makes it easier.
Step 21. Apply a drop of gel super glue on each knuckle/overhand knot in the leg.
Once it begins to set up, apply pressure so make a distinct bend in the legs.
Step 22. Using a black Sharpie marker, apply some spots on the back of the foam.
Step 23. Apply a coat or two of head cement over the thread wraps.
I suggest placing a couple drops of gel super glue over the leg tie down
wraps and pinch the olive back foam to it until it sets up.
Variations:
Tie in a red sili-leg to resemble a tongue.
I doubt this makes it more effective, but Gene Simmons likely would approve.
If you want to make more impact with the eyes, cut the cylinder flush to the foam and attach
some eyes to it with it. I have been experimenting with E6000 adhesive to see if it is
better than the Super Fabric Textile Adhesive I have used for years.
