No matter what anyone tells you, aging isn't a graceful
proposition. A few years ago something started to happen
to my arms. They started to grow short. When visiting
a restaurant, I had to hold the menu out at arm's length
to read it. Tying a fly to the tippet was a joke.
Sometimes it took 20 tries to thread the tippet through
the hook eye, and then I had to thread it through that
little loop at the hook eye to finish the knot. If I could
focus on the project, it was too far away to get the job done.
You young guys don't want to laugh too hard; your time's coming.
About a month ago, I was joking about my short arms with
Jim Siegle, a friend and product representative who has
some of the same problems with his arms. He said he could
arrange for me to try a product called Hateyes™ that would
solve my problems. Funny thing though, Hateyes™ work on
your vision, not your arms. It doesn't matter though;
they solved my problem. He also sent me a set of Mageyes™
to try on other projects like fly tying and reading small
print on boxes and film labels. Both items work great for
people with arms that keep growing shorter with each
passing year.
Hateyes™ clip to the bill of your hat or cap and fold down
to magnify objects at a distance of about one foot. They
have a metal frame and can be purchased with interchangeable
lenses that vary in strength from 1.6X to 2.75X magnification.
Right now the 1.6X version is just right, but in about 10 years,
I might need something in the 2X plus range just to see to
tie a fly to my tippet.
At first, I had a problem using the Hateyes™ with short-billed
caps. When I folded the lens flat under the bill of the cap,
it touched my forehead. That wouldn't work. I tried a variety
of ways to resolve the problem including
a couple that risked setting myself on fire in the hot sun,
but nothing seemed to work. I wasn't very thrilled with the
new product and I told Jim about the problem.
The solution is/was a simple one. I guess my common sense is slipping
along the same lines as my vision. Don't fold the lenses
flat under your cap. Fold them under so the arm stays bent.
Then the lens will clear the opening of the
cap and you'll still be able to see normally.
So far, I've used my hat eyes to read the fine print on a
box, remove a sliver from my finger and tie flies on my
leader. I wish I had been using them a couple of years ago.
It would have given me more fishing time and less time
cussing my short arms and knot skills.
HatEyes Suggested Retail is $24.95 US
MagEyes are a similar product that uses the same lenses that
fit HatEyes. The difference is they have a band that fits
around your head, and a frame that holds the lenses that can
be adjusted to focus where you need it. They also come with
an optional loupe lens that magnifies objects up to 7 times
for very close details.
They are great for tying flies and anything else you need to
see close-up. Both tools are just what the doctor ordered
for my aging eyes and shrinking arms.
MagEyes Suggested Retail is $34.95 US.
If you want more information, visit www.mageyes.com or call
them at 1-800-210-6662. Their address is:
MagEyes, Inc.
P.O. box 293010
Kerrville, Texas 78029-3010
If you're a retailer looking to add them to your sales,
contact Jim Siegle at siegles@chaffee.net. He can get
you set up with the right combination to make your
customers happy. ~ AC
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