There are many flies that don’t resemble life. They’re flat, lack sparkle, and usually don’t catch fish. Some of these flies require wild, erratic action to even get a weed to grab on. Among these flies, streamers are the worst. They imitate baitfish, but some are just a hunk of marabou, while others are tinsel. Unless you add something to them to resemble life, they look like the stuff in that little clippings bag. Speaking of which, how many people collect clippings and never use the debris from a tying session? Try not to clip off too much before you start, as extra can be stored on the spools or in those neat little compartments on your tying desk.
The essence of a living being is its eyes, and there are countless types of eyes available. You can find stick-on eyes, bead eyes, dumbbell eyes, and even jungle cock eyes (if you can find them). However, I discovered a unique method for creating eyes using monofilament, a lighter, and UV epoxy.
Step 1: Cut a length of monofilament. For larger eyes, use a larger diameter line. Heat the end of the lighter until it starts to melt, then gently push it down onto a non-flammable surface, such as a piece of cardboard, not your dining room table.
Step 2: Slowly build up the melted end with epoxy and use the UV light to create a larger body for the eye. To ensure the eye is uniform in shape, slowly spin it. Once you’re satisfied with the size and shape, leave a long tag so you can easily tie the eyes onto your fly. If additional color is needed, use a marking pen to add some drama. An alternate method is to epoxy a color bead and build an epoxy head. I used a red glass bead in the photo below.
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