Homemade Mono Eyes

[snboggs 0]

With the high prices of fly tying materials these days and my being a college student I've begun to look into ways to make my own materials. After checking out several online material sources, I come to find out that small mono eyes cost way to much. The following shows a number of different shops and their prices for mono eyes.

 

The Fly Shop: $1.80 for a pack of 24

Feather-Craft: $1.95 for a pack of 15

Bass Pro: $2.49 for a pack of 25

Cabelas: $1.50 for a pack of 20

 

In my opinion this is just way too expensive to pay for these little things. They way I lose flies, I'd go there a pack like that in no time. So... I decided to make my own, so I went out and bought a spool of 50 lb. monofilament for $7.50 and a lighter. I did some math and came up with a BIG savings making my own.

 

So if you're interested here's my math.

 

The spool of mono holds 250 yards.

There are 3 feet in a yard, thats 750 feet.

If I use 2 inches of line for each set of eyes that 6 eyes per foot.

750 feet of line x 6 eyes per foot = 4500 eyes.

 

To get that many eyes from each shop would cost close to $450 if I did that math right. Is it just me or does anybody else think this is too much to pay for those little buggers?

 

Just thought you guys might like to know about my little epiphany.

[Floyd 0]

When I use 50# line for eyes I only use about 3/4 of an inch. If you use to much it just burns up. If you want to save even more why not use a tea candle. They last a long time and are cheap. Also if you buy a pair of surgical tweezers as they are tapered down to a fine point and you can adjust the distance between the eyes. Works good for me. I got mine at the flea market.

 

[netabrookie 0]

Hello, The tweezer trick is the same thing that I use. My tweezers are tapered and spring loaded, so they hold something until they are squeezed to release. I have put the mono through small craft beads and then burned it so it would hold the beads and give me larger eyes on a few things. The tea light/candle is good advice because you can get a whole bag of them for a buck or two.

 

 

Take Care,

[snboggs 0]

So I should only use 3/4 of an inch? Alrighty, I just somewhere that someone else used 2 inches and it worked ok for me but I'll try 3/4" too.

[oatka 0]

....and my being a college student.......would cost close to $450 if I did that math right.

 

Your guess is better than mine!

 

either way, I do have to try this trick one of these days. I spend the money for 24 of them. now, it's down to using them sparingly so i have enough left.

 

 

[longears 0]

You're absolutely right. It is easier and fun to make them yourself and Floyd gave you some great information there. That's exactly the way that I do it also.

But, the fact of the matter is not everyone wants to spend an entire night with a tea candle on a tv tray burning eyes. That is why you see them for sale.

I'd like to give you one other tip if i may,

If you hold the tweezer at the bottom of the flame instead of the top; you'll get clearer eyes and for tip #2, Go to a general sporting goods store that sells mono in bulk and get some of the "Free" stuff they'll give you that they've taken off of peoples reels.

Have fun!

[Grunt 0]

I use 50# test about 3/4 of a inch for plain eyes and a little longer if I'm threading glass beads to make larger eyes. I also have a container of water next to my candle so I can burn and dunk to set the eyes.

[Fred H. 0]

also for crabs and shrimp eyes I use bristles of a hair brush. Ther are types that have the little balls on the end . already look like eye just need to snip them off and tie them on.get them at the dollar store for a buck and have forty sets of premade eyes.

[longears 0]

That's a cool Idea Fred ! I wish I thought of that, Thanks for sharing. Isn't it amazing all of the different stuff that we can find to amuse ourselves while some including my wife thinks that we've gone nuts!

[netabrookie 0]

Hello again, This site is great about learning little tricks from everyone. I really like the cup of water to set the eyes. Thanks for sharing that with everyone. The hair brush is a great idea too. I'll be at the local dollar store tomorrow to pick one up. Thanks for that too.

 

 

 

 

Take Care,

[snboggs 0]

I also used a cup of water to set the eyes. I'm using a pair of large needle nose pliers to hold the mono when I burn it and I'm rather unhappy with the gap in between the two balls. I guess I need to find something smaller to hold the mono so the balls come out with less of a gap in between. I like the tweezer idea but I don't have any with me on campus right now. I would use my hackle pliers but I don't have them with me either. I might just have to wait until Spring Break next week. I'm really excited to make them thought, hope I can wait! :yahoo:

[chrisfish 0]

dude, the tweezer trick is right on. you can make em any way you want em to look.

 

on the subject . my wife buys a 1/4 oz. bottle of "red nail polish" for about 14$ and i saw a gallon of high gloss red paint for the same price.?

But i don't think i'll get her to bite :hyst:

[snboggs 0]

Buy the paint, you save money, she keeps her polish. Everyone wins. :yahoo:

[Floyd 0]

If you want to make a bunch of eyes and have them colored black you can take a piece of mono maybe three feet or so and take a black marker and place the marker on top of the mono and pull the mono under the marker. It dries quick and you can cut the mono to the length you want. Less time wasted cutting and coloring them one at a time.

 

[oatka 0]

If you want to make a bunch of eyes and have them colored black you can take a piece of mono maybe three feet or so and take a black marker and place the marker on top of the mono and pull the mono under the marker. It dries quick and you can cut the mono to the length you want. Less time wasted cutting and coloring them one at a time.

 

Do they stay black after melting the ends?