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I decided to tie up some streamers through the winter months.
In the past, I haven't painted or placed any "eyes" on them.
What is the best method to secure the eyes so they don't come off?
I plan to place them on the sides near the head.
Material to be used; polar fiber (similar to craft fur) and bucktail.
You might do a google or other search - 'Putting eyes on a fly'. There are links that have instructions.
Allan
Use tear mender. It's the stuff that people use for double bunnies. Super glue works, but isn't always the best.
What a broad question. What kind of eyes on what kind of streamer? On the Edison Tiger they are just tied in! However I doubt that is what you are meaning. If you are putting a large head on them with epoxy or UV resin then put the eyes on and coat as you build the head. If you want dumbbell eyes that will not twist around the shank mix a little silica sand in with some epoxy and coat the wraps after tying in.
Something I do quite a lot is unbalance the head by putting a thicker coat of UV over one eye. The idea is to make the fly wiggle more when pulled through the water. See my Bend Back Sand Eel FOTW October 7th
One trick you may find useful is if you are coating the stick on eyes make one turn of white thread over them to secure them in place while the coating dries. The thread will disappear under the coating but stop them slipping while drying.
Hope I've covered your question. More details will help.
Cheers,
A.
I don't tie a lot of streamers but when I can I like to use large bead chain (like the bathroom sink used to have for the stopper) , tie it on and paint eyes on the chain ball.
uncle jesse, do you put them on top or bottom of hook.
what i have used on saltwater flies, such, as a lefty's deceiver and deer hair bass bugs is goop.
I use a lot of polar fiber streamers when I fish for bass and I put 3D eyes on all of them. What I do is take the 3D eye, put a dab of Marine Goop on the back if the eye and push it into place, and hold it there for a few seconds. The Goop mixes in with the Polar Fiber and the eyes stay on there pretty darn good. I do have one come off on occasion, usually after I've caught a number of fish on the fly. Then, I either swap out flies or continue with that fly if is still seems to be producing. When I get back to the bench, I'll replace the eye if the fly is still in pretty good shape.
Jim Smith
Thank-you, All.
I'm going to buy some Marine Goop like Jim Smith's reply suggests.l
All good ideas.
Last year I was assisting Peter Charles in a streamer class at our tying Symposium (next one is in March). The hooks were about size 6 as I recall. His method was to make a thread head large enough for a flat peel-and-stick eye. Then he overwrapped with fine Uni-mono to secure and protect it. When head cement was applied the mono 'disappeared', showing the eye and the thread head, shiny and dominant. BYW, he had a good explanation for using up-eye hooks because they 'swam' better and the streamer feather/fibers maintained a position close to the body.