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Adding eyes to this pattern? (rabbit fur)

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Your thoughts on the best way to add eyes to palmered cross cut rabbit?

 

Here's the patterns

 

dscf2391r.jpg

 

Would using an adhesive like epoxy gunk up the fur too much and ruin the action?

 

Thanks for any suggestions (even if the suggestion is "that pattern does not need eyes")

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Yeah, epoxy or any heavy glue has the potential of making a mess of the fur, no matter how careful you are. What I usually do is use a fine-pointed bodkin to apply tiny amounts of nail polish to the wraps and give it several coats. I'm assuming those are store-bought mono eyes in the picture - if so, they don't require a lot of wraps or glue compared to what it takes to secure lead eyes. Nail polish is all you really need. Anyway, it's delicate work, and best done a little at a time. Yes, anything heavy on the head is apt to alter the action of the fly - it's not necessarily a bad thing, depending on what kind of action you're looking for and how deep you want the fly to go.

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dscf2391r.jpg

 

 

First off I don't think flies need eyes but they do look better for them.

 

 

I agree with flytire that its probably best to try from the start incorporating eyes.

I guess your wanting to know how to add eyes now. I reckon you could use a small amount of epoxy, or better still UV resin and fix a small eye on the thread head you have. The Right hand flies look like they have more space. You're going to have to stick some of the fur cause you haven't left enough gap back from the eye.

 

You could try using a small solder iron or similar and make a small burnt hole in the fur close to the eye like with deer hair to embed the eye. Might just see the whole fur melt away though.

 

I reckon you keep these as blind flies and when you tie the next lot leave space at the head to stick eyes on and build epoxy round them.

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Question, what size hook are they tied on? How big are the eyes you would put on them? This could change the whole perspective of how to or what to put on them in the way of eyes. And what are you after with the fly's, bass, pike, or saltwater? Just looking for a little more info before making any suggestion.

 

Blane

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As already stated eyes are a nice option.

 

Another thing that might be tried is to:

 

1. Build up a somewhat bigger thread head. It shouldn't effect the fly's appearance or

action much or at all based on the images you posted.

 

2. Next apply a coat of head cement or something like a thin coat of Loon Hard Head

 

3. Paint an eye with acrylic craft paint

 

4. Apply two more coats of what you used in step two

 

It will not add much weight and the eyes are unlikely to be knocked off or impede the

movement of the rabbit..

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Eyes make a nice touch as has been said.

I really like fabric cement to attach them or Beacon 527 or epoxy. I would recommend extending the head of your fly and then attaching flat decal eyes (fold them in half first - the crease will better follow the contour of the head) or a 3-D epoxy eye. I do think there is something about eyes that makes a trigger for fish

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Great looking flies.

You can use Barge cement or your favorite goo to attach stick on eyes to that type of fly.

To avoid to much of a hairy mess, apply a blob of glue to the thread wraps after stroking the hair back like it appears is already done. Stick one eye on with the leading edge of the eye flush to the back of the hook eye. When you stick the eye on and push it up against the thread wraps, some of the glue will ooze to the rear half of the eye that will overlap on to the hair collar. Do one side at a time and when both eyes are in place, pinch the eyes evenly in towards the hook shank or you can even push them together allowing the top of each eye to touch, that will form a triangle but that's okay. The glue will push in to the hair and the eye will be stuck to the shank on the thread wraps and through the hair. Whatever you do, if/when glue oozes out the back of the eye, don't try to remove the excess - that is when you will wound up with a hairy mess for sure. With practice, you won't have that much oozing out to worry about.

If you want them weighted, you can use Flytire's suggestion or use barbell eyes.

 

Kirk

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It would also help to moisten the fur while you're stroking it back - there are always some stray fibers when you're working with rabbit fur, and it seems like they always wind up in the glue. One thing I've thought about, but never actually tried yet, is to use one of those tiny hair elastics to hold the fur back and out of the way. The kind that are all rubber, not the ones with the braided coating. Some kind of "hackle guard" is also something I've been meaning to try. Like the ones they use on dry flies to hold back the hackle while the head's being wrapped.

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Some kind of "hackle guard" is also something I've been meaning to try. Like the ones they use on dry flies to hold back the hackle while the head's being wrapped.

 

I've thought about that too Peter. I'd bet sticking a piece of plastic bag onto the hook eye and back over the body would work like the deer hair bug guys do to hold back the flared deer hair when whip finishing the end of the fly.

 

Kirk

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I like the plastic bag idea - I might try that today and see what I can come up with. I've got a hole punch kicking around here somewhere that might come in handy. I tie a lot with wool, which is also a royal pain - no matter how carefully I trim it, seems like there's always a stray fiber or two to stick in the head glue. I'm sure the fish don't care, but when you're already as close to going over the edge as I am, it's best to avoid situations that might instigate that final nudge.

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...but when you're already as close to going over the edge as I am, it's best to avoid situations that might instigate that final nudge.

 

You must be an expert by now at evasive maneuvers if that's the case. You could probably write a book for helping keep us insane fly tiers just sane enough.

 

Kirk

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Drinking straws work well to push back over the materials leaving the eye empty. They are easy to find and come in diameters to suit most hook sizes.

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