Old Geezer's Wide-Eyed Flies™

Old Geezer's Wide-Eyed Flies™ for squint-eyed guys. Tied by and for some old geezer whose eyes aren't sharp and whose hands aren't steady. The hook eyes are seriously wide - wide enough that you really don't need sharp eyes or steady hands to tie them to your tippet.

The first batch of flies were tied on a rainy evening and a rainy afternoon at a fish camp in Maine. It was a baker's dozen of flies tied in bad light with no tools other than clamps and nippers. The hooks are the Wide-Eyed Hooks (C'ultiva SBL-35 size 12 barbless hooks). The hackle is Whiting 100s. The thread is from a Singer sewing kit. It is Fly Friendly, though, (says so right on the label).

Wide-Eyed Hook

Fly Friendly Thread

One of the first batch

The flies were just about as ugly as you would expect from an old geezer with bad eyes, shaky hands, no vise and bad light. However, I am sure the fish won't care. I am firmly convinced that neatly tied, perfectly proportioned flies catch fishermen and messy, disheveled flies catch fish. I have proven to myself more than once that flies just as ugly as that one work quite well.

I think the concept is good and would be a service to the community. Somebody should tie flies specifically for guys and gals who have gotten to the point where it is a challenge to thread the tippet through the hook eye.

Tested and approved.
Black Brown

One of the flies was tested and was judged acceptable by the only judge that matters.

I was planning to offer the lot for sale, but after seeing close up photos of the flies, I thought I probably ought to just keep them for myself (and fish them when I'm alone). I really can tie better flies - but only in good light with a vise and a magnifying glass. I'm sure they'll catch fish - they just probably wouldn't catch any bids.

UPDATE: well, they caught a fisherman as well as a fish. The first batch of Old Geezer's Wide-Eyed Flies™ has been sold. It turns out that I got an order for a second batch, and the buyer wanted them to be just as ugly as the first batch. I think he got his wish.

For a while, I offered scruffy flies tied with clamps and nippers and slightly neater flies tied with vise and scissors. The clamps and nippers flies sold better, so now all the flies have the same bad eyes, shaky hands, no vise, bad light "old geezer-iness" of the first few batches. I'm pretty sure they'll all catch fish.

The flies in the photos below are representative of the Old Geezer's Wide-Eyed flies.

Six black body brown hackle flies.

Six gray body grizzly hackle flies.

Plus one fly with a black body and grizzly hackle to complete the baker's dozen, all packed in a pocket-sized six-compartment fly box.

If the button says Add to cart, the item is in stock.

Until I come to my senses, a baker's dozen (13) of Old Geezer's Wide-Eyed Flies™ will be $25 with free shipping to US addresses.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.