Lower Forty Flyting Lab - March 20, 2000

March 20, 2000

THE "EYES" HAVE IT

There’s no question about it. Peruse the displays of fly tying materials in any full service fly shop and the most evident change that has occurred in the past ten years is the variety of eyes, beads, barbells and cones being offered to today’s fly tyer. We recently had to revamp an entire section of the shop to accommodate our constantly growing inventory of these materials. The obvious explanation for such rapid growth in this area of fly tying discipline could be attributed to the fact that flies accompanied by these materials "work."

Bead head flies, in particular, are no longer looked upon as being novelties but have taken their place as requisites in just about every trout fisherman’s arsenal. Since Bob Clouser first introduced his popular small mouth bass minnow many years ago, every conceivable color, density and configuration of barbell is now available to experiment with and tingle the creative juices of even the novice fly tyer. Most conventional, tried and true streamer and nymph patterns are now being altered to accommodate some form of bead, eye, barbell or cone in the thorax or head area, fueling the hottest revolution in sub-surface fishing in years.

The primary reason that this movement has taken hold, even among the gray beards of the sport, could be attributed to the fact that not only do flies tied with beads, cones and barbells descend at a desired rate, and, more importantly, achieve a desired angle of decent, they also offer a bit of flash and sparkle to the presentation. Applications of this sort have gone a long way to eliminate the use of crimped split shot, twist-ons (a procedure I have never felt comfortable with), and even sink-tip fly lines to a degree as a means of locating nymphs and streamers along the stream bottom where most predators dwell.

Eyes, whether the prismatic stick-on variety or incorporated into a barbell or cone also adds a bit of realism to the offering, presenting a target for the fish to focus on during the attack. The most dominant feature of any bait fish and nymph, for that matter, is undoubtedly their eyes. While observing forage in the wild, the eyes of many species are oftentimes disproportionate to the body and by far their most distinguishing trait. Many times I have observed schools of marauding bait fish with seemingly transparent torsos that were evident only by the presence of their eyes.

Gone are the days spent behind the vise deliberately painting pupils with acrylics and lacquers to achieve only modest success. Both salt and freshwater tiers need only position the desired "stick-on" eye along corresponding sides of the head, distribute a small bit of epoxy to coat and protect it, rotate it a few time to prevent sagging, and the final result will be a more durable, realistic imitation. This procedure, I assure you, will take only a few efforts to master.

Cones are the latest arrival to this "bead head" revolution. Most cones are designed to be hydrodynamic and serve to enhance the action of many flies, particularly larger varieties, by providing a darting, inconsistent characteristic when retrieved, behavior common to many bait fish species. As is the case with beads and barbells, cones are now available in tungsten to further enhance their effectiveness in heavy, or deeper water. Cone head flies are also more durable and can be used in conjunction with stick-on eyes and epoxy to create some interesting effects.

We have reached only the tip of the iceberg concerning the innovative aspects of these products. If you have yet to delve into the world of eyes, beads, barbells and cones spearheaded by Heir Clouser, you may be missing out on the most important development to hit the fly tying scene in the past 20 years.