Foam Fish

Legendary Lures · August 20th, 2003

I guess these are Hybrid Lures. They're swim jigs wearing foam fish suits. Fun to make.

Big Splash · August 20th, 2003

Those are cute, Larry, I don't know what else to say!

redg8r · August 20th, 2003

Wow Larry, thats some good detail,

I use that foam for making curly tails on my masters before molding.
its the easiest thing Ive found to cut, but youve got some intricate work there, good work.

while were on the subject, I was looking around the shop for something to seal that foam with to make it a lil more rigid or at least give a nice glosscoat, Ive tried epoxy, super glue, etc. they help but dont totally soak into the foam. any ideas?

I know the biggest problem is that its a closed cell foam, but in your application, thats a plus (stays bouyant)

Thanks for sharing.

Delw · August 21st, 2003

Larry.
You make some of the nicest lures I have seen, your pinting is fantastic

Delw

RiverMan · August 21st, 2003

I have to give you credit for those little guys, where "artistry meets tacklemaking". Take the point off of the hook and I will bet you could sell a bunch of these in those busy little decorative shops that women love, I hate. Great work!

jed

Maze · August 21st, 2003

Those are WILD !!! I have to say that the Chartruse one looks like something from the Simpsons ! How do they fish ?
Maze

Legendary Lures · August 21st, 2003

Thanks for all the nice comments! Even the "cute" one is appreciated.

My wife thinks they look "cartoony", too.

Here's a little foam bluegill that I cranked out this evening. One of the things that I've been enjoying about making these is the instant gratification. From concept to completion is about 45 minutes.

I don't know how they fish. the field test will most likely be this weekend, so, stay tuned... It's been said, "Show your local fish something different." I don't think mine have seen these before.

I haven't tried coating this foam, but I will say that if I squeeze two pieces of this foam together with some glue, it seems to compress a little. This suggested that the glue goes in a little. I've been using a superglue called Bondini. It doesn't melt this foam at all.

I've given some scrap of foam the "bathroom sink test". It foams right on top of the water. I dried it off with a towel and only the outside was wet. I couldn't wring out any water.

Here's an idea for twister tails for mold masters: Rather than coating this foam , how about trying a plastic lid from a coffee or peanut can? It is very easy to cut with scissors or a utility knive. It's thinner than this foam. It has a nice smooth surface, so mold material shouldn't stick too it.

redg8r · August 21st, 2003

Quote:

Originally Posted by Legendary Lures

I've given some scrap of foam the "bathroom sink test". It foams right on top of the water. I dried it off with a towel and only the outside was wet. I couldn't wring out any water.

Yeah, it seems only the very surface that has been cut holds water & its very little. this stuff reminds me of the EVA foam used in rod grips.

Quote:

Here's an idea for twister tails for mold masters: Rather than coating this foam , how about trying a plastic lid from a coffee or peanut can?

Funny you mention that,.... I tried that night before last :P it does cut great, but its a little too thin for my tails. 1/16" lexan works fine but it takes alot of effort to dremel one down, & I need to make a near 180 degree curl with my latest project.

Didnt know if you tried it yet, but you can sand the edges of that foam using a fine grit drum on a dremel tool, just a tip.

Thanks larry & good luck on the water.

Gr8flyz · September 30th, 2003

Man, those are great! I just posted a response on another site about tying flies with foam. I said it's use was only limited by one's imagination. I'm going to have to edit that response & reference this post so the fly tying guys can see what's possible!

Larry you sure are very talented and have a fantastic imagination :!: