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FishnPhil

Eyes!!

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The sticker, or stick on, eyes require a lot of work for me. They do not stick well and using glue or uv resin takes a lot of extra time.

 

While I do like the UV bubble I can put on the outside of the eye, what do you all use for attaching them and keeping them attached?

 

If you don't use stickers, what do you use? How do you attach them?

 

For reference, here is what I've been using:

t0ss5w.jpg

 

sl1qxe.jpg

 

Thank you for advice.

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I have been using Goop that is a tube.

I have a box of toothpick on my tying table to use to get a little from the tube to hold the fly on.

 

Rick

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I don't think eyes are intended to survive fish. I don't add them at all now as I'm not sure that add anything for my species and its more junk falling off and being left in the water.

When I did use them in fish skulls etc superglue works fine.

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a drop of epoxy or crazy glue should work to hold the stick on etes in place. then overcoat with epoxy or uv resin

 

i dont tie many flies with eyes but i have a supply of the following eyes. and the prepainted lead eyes. i'm lazy

 

eyes.jpg

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I long ago quit using those pretty holographic eyes since the first contact with anything and you're doing without that decal... I chose to go the same route as Puglisi - using solid doll eyes instead.. You first clip off the plastic stem on each eye flush with the back of the eye then use Fletch-Tite (an arrow maker's glue in a tube) to secure the eyes... Here's the drill - use the that really thin dispenser the tube comes with to place a tiny drop of glue where wanted (and Fletch-Tite will secure on almost any material...) then, once the first eye is where you want it simply clamp it in place (I use either mini-clamps or ordinary clothes pins ) and leave the fly for about five minutes before attaching the other side following the same drill... Works like a charm for me and they're very, very durable if glued up properly... Since I'm never doing just one fly (tying production style... ) it's a simple matter to do the first eye on every one in the batch (10, a dozen, a hundred..) - then come back and do the other side once the first glue-up has set properly... Here's a pic or two of the end result...

 

0yQApBO.jpg

the old Seaducer pattern in finger mullet configuration

6QmgXaM.jpg

Full dress finger mullet fly - note the much larger eyes (plastic doll eyes come in millimeter sizes - these were 7mm..).

 

These kind of eyes come in various colors (usually black center and different outside colors) and can actually be added to an existing fly if appropriate - long after the fly is done, finished, and dried...

 

Hope this helps

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I have some dumbbell eyes that have recesses in them to place eyes. Generally, I just glue them in with superglue gel and then a coat of UV resin. Here's a couple of clousers that I used them for.

 

 

 

 

I like eyes on my bait fish patterns and poppers, sliders and streamers intended as bait fish patterns. I get the sense they may be more important on salt water patterns than fresh water ones. Still they can be a focus point or attractor point for the predators.

 

For streamers, I'll build a thread head attach the eye, super glue or UV resin, then build a UV resin head.

 

 

 

 

Bait fish, I attach the eye with either super glue or a drop of UV resin, then a build a UV resin head that gives the fly a more fish like shape,

post-309-0-08177200-1563036055_thumb.jpg

 

My poppers, sliders and crease flies are made from foam. Just glue in place and the whole body gets a coat of UV resin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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OK. Looks like the other pictures didn't show up. Have to figure that one out.

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Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I will try a couple of these to see what works best for me. I tied up a bunch of clousers without eyes.

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You can get flies for streamers with tabs from saltwaterflytying.com website. I also usually buy pre painted dumbell eyes or just use them black. The contrast with the material and the black eyes seems enough to me.

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When it comes to lead eyes - I actually paint and then bake every one I use - doing them in a fixture so that I can do 50 to 100 at a time.... Here's a pic or two and I'll walk you through it if anyone requests...

 

gaPSVwx.jpg

This 2x6 has a shallow groove cut into it that allows me to place a small diameter threaded rod into it - with enough of the rod sticking up to place the eyes to be painted onto it - spaced enough apart so that I can deal with each eye one at a time...

 

c6hFQ81.jpg

These are the tools that I paint with... The larger ends are for the background coat - the smaller ones are for the pupils. My paint of choice is from Ace Hardware - called "quick drying" (which it isn't...) alkyd enamel... Comes in small cans and lasts forever if kept sealed properly. Given the thickness of the paint each painter actually leaves a bigger dot of paint than the head of the nail would indicate... I had to experiment a bit -painting on a cardboard surface, before I had the size right. I actually paint up three to five different eye sizes, as needed, so then need different sized tools...

 

eztQvj8.jpg

This shows the two threaded rods wired tightly together so that you can handle each "stick" of eyes easily. Here they're getting the first coat of paint on one side - then the stick will be turned over and the other side will be done. I use the inside of the lid on each paint can as my palette... Each stick is placed on a pair of pliers at each end for painting -this keeps the freshly painted eye just above the board I'm using as a work surface (the same board with the groove routered into it...). When each stick has fresh paint it's hung in an oven and baked at 350 for 15 minutes (and I can do multiple sticks at a time...). Once the first colors are painted and baked hard - then, after the sticks cool down enough to handle -the pupil is applied and the baking process is repeated. As you can guess with solvent based paint - this isn't something you do with anyone else in the house - and you keep the windows open at the time... I usually do a year or two's eyes in a single session - then they're cut free of each stick and go into an "eye box" ready for using with any patterns that require lead eyes that really look great (and are pretty durable...).

 

H3zPgtx.jpg

If you look closely you'll note that each different color variation on these Silhouettes (one of my signature patterns over the years...) actually has a different eye color.. Pretty easily done when you paint up your own eyes in bulk in advance - and they're just another component in the flies you're producing..

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Wow Bob, that is money (meaning spot on, solid, full of awesome sauce) information right there. Thank you. I'm sure in the future I'll be tying up more flies with eyes and will take this method as my first option for getting the colors I want.

 

The current flies I have are now tied up, so only options post-tie are available this time. Thank you everyone for the suggestions!

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