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GuyGP10

EYES ON FLIES

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Just put some eyes on bass streamers for the first time - used super glue   What a pain in the butt!  Has to be an easier way.

Also to make sure they stat on?  How do you guys do it? Guy G

 

Edited by GuyGP10

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My way is probably a bit of overkill.  Most of my streamers/baitfish patterns have heads on them.  Initially I made them with 5 minute epoxy or silicone.  It's much easier these days with UV resin.    I either use superglue or a drop of UV resin to hold the eyes in place,   then  use UV resin to build heads   Here's a few different stylessunfish.thumb.JPG.dae4dba51c44eb9d7c0dda7a5978c489.JPG

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P4290513.thumb.JPG.31d509b4cda14c3c79a064aed88b0ba5.JPG

There's always a discussion as to whether eyes are necessary on streamers.   I'm convinced they're more important on salt water streamers but have always put them on my warm water flies.  Adds a bit of realism to them.   All bait fish have eyes and predators might key on them.  

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You don’t necessarily have to go the UV resin route.  Once you anchor with just a touch of CA glue in some cases you can build heads or encase the eyes with fingernail polish or epoxy.   Just gotta deal with the stuff drooping/running.   Thin coats helps.   CA glue is tricky in that just a dab or too much missis the “catch” so to speak.   For thick feathers or fibers might wanta plastic glue that has body but takes longer to dry.   Some here like the Fabric glue.  

Lotta sources for eyes.  Paint drop eyes on waxed paper are easy. 

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Have you ever tried a drop of thick UV over painted eyes for a 3-D effect?  Make sure the paint is well set and be quick with the UV light before the bead spreads.  I hadn't heard of the waxed paper trick - sounds like it should work here.

One way I use to attach the flat stick-on eyes is to place them on the head of the fly then cover with a smooth tie of mono from one side to the other of the eye- it'll look funky UNTIL you then treat with head cement/Dave's/Sally Hanson's Clearcoat then the mono disappears and is transparent.  Also, I do believe fish do sight on on the eyes of baitfish and these eyes are almost bulletproof!

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Woodworking stores as Woodcraft has CA glue in thin, medium and thick formulae. A hardware store or the box stores might have it. I use the thick where I don't want the glue to run while working on a piece.

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