What's your favorite "eye"?

[FlySmyth]

When you put eyes on minnows or ??? what is your favorite one. I have seen them in bead chain and lead dumb bell eyes and stick on. I was hoping some of you on here would let me know which ones work best and which ones to perhaps stay away from.

Thanks.

FlySmyth.

[bswens]

i think that the fish like the red lead eyes the best. i've tried various kinds and they seem to be the most effective. the small and medium sizes are real easy to cast. my only complaint is that the paint comes off way too easy it seems. whoever makes those things needs to figure something better out so that they can take a beating on rocks. any suggestions to solve that problem? or perhaps better eyes to use?

[nightfish]

It depends on the depth of the water you plan to use them for, to some degree. Lead or brass dumbell eyes will get down faster & deeper, bead-chain less so, and stick-on's add no relevant weight. You can also paint them directly on the fly(there was a thread a little while back about painting eyes). If you're talking about how they look, it's mostly personal preference. For no weight, I like the prismatic eyes, in gold or silver. You can get them flat or rounded, or you can buy flat and add a drop of epoxy to make them rounded. I use bead-chain on damsels and small Charlies, and lead or brass on wooly buggers & bigger.

To make the paint last longer on the lead-eyes, coat them with a clear nail polish or a thin layer of epoxy.

[Hopper]

I like the dumbells with the sticker eyes for my streamers when I want a ton of weight. Seal the stickers down with head cement. If I want less weight I really like bead chain. Two drops of fabric paint and it is a good looking eye. If I am doing some kind of epoxy coat over things, then the prismatic eye sticker all by itself (under the epoxy) is very natural looking.

Hopper

[Crosby]

It depends on why what and where you are fishing- dumbell eyes have thier place- but it all reality are a pain to cast- I do tie one that I fish some So. Idaho rivers that works well- let's me cover a lot of water with that up and down motion- but overall I would much rather fish with eyes that have no weight and let a sinktip take care of the weight for me.

[FlySmyth]

Thanks for the replys. I'm trying the stick on eyes and using hot glue. It looks cool anyway.

FlySmyth.