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Cleaning out small hook eyes

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I have been tying some 18,20, and 22's. Keeping the hook eye clear of waterproofing or head cement was a bit of a problem. Seems like all the bodkin needles were to fat to stick through the eyes. I found a fix and thought I'd share it with you all. Beading needles. Beading needles for seed beads # 11-#14 are the ticket. I got mine from a Native American supply house called Crazy Crow but I bet that any place that sells bead has them. I now have a frog hair bodkin and clear hook eyes.

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Another good idea is to trim the fluff off the bottom of a small neck hackle and thread it through the eye. Then grasp the end you pushed through and pull the remainder of the hackle through the eye, cleaning it.

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I use a piece of tippet...

 

Put the tippet through the eye then apply your cement. You can move the tippet back and forth through the eye while the cement starts to set up. Then, simply remove the tippet.

 

Hope this helps

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Well, my answer to the problem , is I take a hook of the same size that I am tying and insert the hook tip of the bare hook into the eye of the finished fly, I just let it stay there till the cement is dry. It works for me, wont speak for anyone else.

 

Jeff

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Try using heated #14 AWG copper cable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Every single strand (wire) is small and hard enough to pass through the eye of a #34 hook. Just heat it up with a cigarrette lighter and while it is red hot, push it through the eye once the cement is dry. Be sure to hold the wire with small needle nose pliers or tweezers while doing the heating and eye cleaning.

 

A one-inch length of cable will go a long way 'cause it has over 40 strands!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

For larger hooks just twist several strands together before heating.

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I never have the problem because I don't use head cement. I rely on the whip finish. Never had a fly (tied by me) unravel yet :D

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I string my small nymphs on a piece of fine ribbing wire, keeps the eyes open and all those small critters in one place. If you don't break the wire from the spool, it cleans off well and wraps back for future use.

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I like to do this too - I have found a couple of times that even though I have cleared the eye "hole" I have had a wrap of thread underneath which is more or less invisible, and will prevent the eye from being threaded at the streamside.

 

Threading all the flies on a piece of copper stops this easily, and keeps them all together too on a string.

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I usually use whatever is in my waste-trol...

 

Usually that means a tip of a small feather with a stripped stem (my favorite) or whatever is there that will fit throught the eye... i.e. a bit of small mono, peacock hurl tip, piece of thread or whatever.

 

I don't keep a "special" tool" or material out on my bench for this... I just use and re-discard whatever is at hand.

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I usually use the hook of the same size method, as Jeff already said. :)

I have also used a piece of peacock herl, though.

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