The Eyes Have It

 

Eyes, do they make a difference? Some say no, some say yes and some are agnostic. Then there are the people who believe in them but wonder what the point is because their eyes always fall off.

I think eyes make a difference, or rather several differences. Yes I'm pretty sure that for some species an eye on a baitfish pattern is, or can be the difference between an eat and a refusal. I think this is especially true of small bait imitations. A lot of small minnows have very prominent eyes and it probably makes sense to imitate them. Of course there's no way of truly proving that fish that eats a fly with an eye wouldn't have eaten a blind one, but I've been in situations where I'm sure it has made the difference. But really I don't think that's the most important difference when it comes to eyes. Not least because although eyes might give the angler confidence we'll never know for sure if it really mattered.

So what is important? Well, the things that are objectively true and make measurable difference to a fly's behaviour. Adding eyes usually makes a significant physical difference to the front end of a fly and is something you can use to your advantage. Adding tape eyes to a fly effectively adds 2 planes to the head of the fly, which can make it behave in a certain way on the retrieve. If your eyes are uneven it can cause twist while casting or make the fly swim lopsided-that might not be a bad thing depending on what you want to catch. But assuming they're big enough, if they are even they'll have a stabilizing effect on how the fly tracks. the most extreme example is on James Christmas' Flaming Lambo GT fly, the tape eyes are stuck to each other above the shank creating a keel effect which keeps the fly tracking straight at very high speed. If you fill the space between the eyes with epoxy or resin you end up with a single plane that depending on the shape can make the fly jerk or glide from side to side, which is nice.
3D eyes will do much the same but also add weight, obviously, which can add some jigginess or even just balance the bend of the hook. But they also probably need a bit more care because they are rigid so have a stronger planing effect on the inside. If you get a fly that isn't tracking properly and has 3D eyes, it's worth having a look at the head for an exposed edge on one if the eyes. These edges can act like a diving vane on a plug, which can be a pain if it's not what you want. Luckily it's an easy fix when you get home, but can be frustrating on the water. An exposed lip on an eye is also one of the reasons they come off.

Eyes coming off is a problem for a lot of people, and it will eventually happen to most flies. But there are things you can do to stop it happening quickly that can also help make your fly swim.

• Use actual glue, UV resin isn't glue and unless you are encasing the eyes in the resin it's not keeping them on long term.
• Use appropriate glue, Gorilla glue or Evsotick Serious are pretty good for a lot of applications. Superglue is essentially a waste of time especially in salt water.
• Make sure that 3D eyes can't flex on the fixing point, either by sticking the eyes to each other, having a very dense head or filling the gap with resin or epoxy. The 2nd two will also reduce pass through which makes your tail materials move more.
• If possible, encase the eye with some kind of topcoat. It could be UV resin, silicone, or a clear urethane like Liquid Fusion or Gorilla glue. Epoxy will yellow but also works.

So put eyes on but don't worry too much about them being a visual trigger, they may or may not be, think about the hydrodynamic effect they can have on the function of the fly.