Eyes slipping on Clousers?

[Oneweight]

Any tips on keeping eyes from twisting on the shank on Clousers? I'm using waxed mono, tying thread bumps in front of and in back of the lead eyes, drop of super glue on top and bottom as well. I'm even now thinking of using epoxy on the eyes as well as the glue!!

Any other ideas out there or is this just a fact of life. Amazing how thrashed your flies get in the salt!

thx

[Bill Douglas]

I use LOTS of figure-eight wraps. Mine seem to hold up okay. Usually the rest of the material is shot before the eyes become a problem. I don't know if this helps, but good luck!

[alpinetrout]

Coating the entire head with epoxy (Super Clouser) makes the strongest, most durable fly. I've gotten so sick of eye paint chipping off on rocks, hair getting chewed, eyes rotating, etc, that I'm in the process of retrofitting all my existing clousers into super clousers.

[Oneweight]

AT,

Is a Super Clouser just an epoxy covered Clouser per se? I did a few today and am thinking of re-doing a bunch of others. I epoxy'd all of the thread head, thread down the shank and all over the eyes as well.

I agree on the thrash factor... All of my Clousers after a day in the salt have chipped eyes, spun eyes, missing eyes, etc. Hopefully, this will help.

I'm using Zpoxy btw. I've seen flies at shops with silver glitter in the epoxy. How are they making that happen?

Cheers

[Matt Burke]

When you mix resin with the hardener, throw in the glitter. I've been doing the epoxy thing too on clousers. Better shape to the head, keeps on the eyes, etc.

[WT]

I wrap around the base of the figure 8 (under the eyes) a few times to tighten up the figure 8 wraps, then figure 8 some more, wrap some, figure eight... seems to work well.

[Jay Allyn]

I wrap around the base of the figure 8 (under the eyes) a few times to tighten up the figure 8 wraps, then figure 8 some more, wrap some, figure eight... seems to work well.

It's called frapping. Works for me and along with tight wraps and glue my eyes don't travel that much.

[Zen Piscator]

alpine-
u use expoxy on your walleye clouser-ish fly, with the hackel down the middle dont u? Btw that is a sweet ass fly

[Wakemaster]

Some suggestions. First, use a kevlar thread to attach the eyes to the hook. When figure eight wrapped and frapped (both excellent suggestions by others) this will provide a very tight attachment. Then apply a drop of super glue to the thread. Because kevlar thread does not come in light colors a neutral tan is what I use for this underwrap. Second, it is critical that the kevlar or any other thread used to secure the eyes be unwaxed. If the thread is waxed it will greatly reduce the penetration of the super glue or of the epoxy. After the super glue has dried I apply a thin coat of epoxy and let it dry. Now I can tie the fly with either white or clear thread without the darker color of the under thread showing through. These steps are individually time consuming so I usually prepare a dozen or more hooks at a time. A word of caution about kevlar thread if you have not tied with it before--don't try to break the thread, cut it with a pair of scissors or with a razor blade.

Happy tying!

[ak_powder_monkey]

I jsut check my fly every time I catch a fish wich of course is very often, its good to have the utter destruction of flies due to fish as a problem

speaking of epoxy is there a good way to get it to dry with out buying a motor?

Oh and black and blue clousers for salmon, nothing better!

[troutaholic]

I like to use the thick glitter fingernail polish for securing my dumbell eyes instead of superglue/epoxy. It seems to penetrate the wraps better than epoxy yet be thick enough to hold the eyes in place. Additionally the glitter really gives the fly added flash. I've also been using small diameter sparkle braid (from Michaels) to overwrap the head . That plus the glitter polish over the top really makes the fly come alive and I've been really successful with these flash clousers (hot pink/light pink) with Kings and Cohos in the salt and freshwater. The additional flash seems to just annoy the crap out of them. The fingernail polish is very durable, inexpensive and easy to use.

[Denny]

I agree with Triggs; epoxy isn't necessary.

I use Monocord; cheap and reasonably strong. Lay in a base of thread so the eyes aren't metal to metal on the hook shank. Tie in a 'bump' of thread, set the eye stem against it, and start your figure 8 or X thread motion. About 10 or 12 wraps in to the process, place a few drops of Super glue, and start wrapping again. Don't be shy with the thread; it's cheap!.

I also find it's helpful every once in a while to make wraps, in front of and behind the eyes, directly around the hook shank. It helps 'bind' down the wraps.

Another thing is to follow the above, but use mono to bind down the eyes. Part way through the tie in process, change to thread to finish things off. The mono is really, really strong, but is slippery.

Also, many times the eyes 'come off' the fly because the fly has hit the beach or rock on the backcast. I think you will find that if you consciously finish your cast high, that you will not hit the beach as often and your clouser eyes will stay on longer.

Richard
"Listen to me now and believe me later."