Jim -

I've been using a water based head cement for the past couple years. I am well satisfied with the one I have. You do tend to use a bit more, as you suggested, because it does soak in more than the old head cements I started with five years ago. But I don't have a problem with it filling the eye of the hook - in fact, I have less problems in that regard with the water based head cement than the old stuff.

My flies are pretty durable, and I think the head cement helps. When I salvage hooks from flies tied using the water based product, it is very difficult to cut through and remove the wraps at the head that were coated with the head cement.

I suspect that the water based products are marginally safer for moderate use and more environmentally friendly. Personally, I prefer not to use solvent based glues, cements, cleaners, etc. I think I read somewhere that the actual cementing ingredients in the water based cements are the same as in the old cements, only the medium has changed.

The water based products are supposed to take more time to dry, as I recall, but that isn't really an issue. I've tied flies finished with water based head cement and fished them the same day with no problems.

John