Eyes – booby eyes from bean bag beads

 

Set out below are the tying instructions for Booby eyes made out of bean bag beads for a right handed fly tier. If your left handed please remember to switch the instructions around.

Process

A
  1. Create a foundation of cotton thread on the front half of the hook.
  2. Take the thread to the position where the bean bag eyes are to be tied in. This position is about the 85% position the hook shank and directly below where the back of the finished eyes will be.

B
  1. Cut a section of doubled up stocking material or cut a single layer and double it up.
  2. Select two matching bean bag beads and capture them fully and firmly in the doubled up stocking material. The idea of the beads is that they should be big enough to make the completed fly, and probably one or two dropper flies fished on the same rig all gradually ascend to the surface once they have been sunk on a sinking line. The beads don't of course have to lift the sinking line just the team of flies and the leader so don't go overboard. If the beads are to big the team of flies will be hard to pull down to the fishing depth, too quick in the ascent and of course, the fly will be just plain ugly.

C

  1. Hold the beads enclosed in the doubled up stocking material with the right hand firmly at the tie in position.

D

  1. Take several firm wraps of thread at the tie in position and then take just one or two figure of eight wraps between the eyes to create their individual form.
  2. Hold the stocking material above but along the top of the hook as you wind the thread about 1/4 of the distance toward the tail of the fly. This will keep the stocking material sitting right on top of the hook shank.

E

  1. Cut the excess stocking material off horizontally close to the last wrap of thread and the hook shank.
  2. Tie the tag end of the stocking material down onto the hook shank and take a couple of double of hitches at that point before trimming the thread.

F
  1. Give the whole eye and where its tied into the hook shank a generous coat of acrylic paint and put them aside to dry.
  2. Paint a set of eyes on the bean bag beads to complete the eyes.



Last Updated: December 27, 2010
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Categories: Free fly tying
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