I started using the Tulip Brand Slick paint for eyes in 1989 when I started tying the Froggies.
I needed something for eye color on the end of the pin heads I was using for the Froggie eyes.
My wife at that time was making a lot of fishing sweatshirts and had a load of this fabric paint around.
I found I could squeeze just a bit of paint through the tip of the nozzle on the container and touch it to the pin head. This left a perfect dot. I then added another color making a smaller dot and finish up with just a pin point of black for the pupil.
The pins I used had yellow heads so I just added a red dot and a black for the pupil.
On my streamers I usually use a large dot of yellow, smaller dot of red and a black pupil. I have used the green florescent slick paint for the eye background with red, yellow and black for the rest of the eye.
The first color is applied from the tube, squeeze out a drop on the end of the tube about the size you want the eye to be. Hold pressure on the squeeze bottle. Touch the place where you want the eye to be with the drop of paint. Do this gently and you will get a nice round spot.
After applying the paint, release the pressure in the squeeze bottle and it will suck what you did not use back into the tube. Neat and clean.
I let the spot set till it gets a skin over it, usually about a minuet or two, then apply the second color. The same for the third color.
I try to let these sit for 48 hours before using the fly. The eyes will last a long time but not indefinitely on brass bead heads. Eventually they will come off. If you want more permanent eyes on brass or gold beads you can dip them on head cement after 48 hours or apply a coat of Epoxy. I am a firm believer in eyes and use then on any fly I can.
When I am real energetic, I use this method to put a black pupil on my sz 16 and 18 emergers.
Come to the Sowbug show in March and I will be glad to do a demo
Tony
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Wes,
Tony Spezio uses fabric paint extensively to put eyes on all his stuff. He's real big on eyes and can handle those fabric paint squeeze bottles quite well. I think he's on this list and I'm sure he will respond.
Larry Carli President, Ozark Fly Fishers St. Louis, MO <A HREF="http://ozarkflyfishers.org";>http://ozarkflyfishers.org</A>
FFF Certified Casting Instructor
