fly tying for the blind

[kev57]

well not quite but almost. I would dearly love to start tying my own flies but my eyesight is terrible. I tried before about 10 years ago and whilst I could tie salmon flies I just couldnt manage river trout flies. Can anyone recommend a magnifying glass type thing that could help me?

[speycaster]

hi mate i am in the same boat as you and have to use a magnifier lamp to tie flies have a look on ebay it depends how much you want to spend i just spent £64.00 and got the dogs doobies they of course go for a lot cheaper than that you wont regret it billy p

[fishay]

Hi Kev, put a search in for this on ebay, its great for tying and you can pick it up for under a tenner.

HEAD MAGNIFIER HEADBAND MAGNIFYING HEADSET WITH LIGHT

[Mrtrout]

Originally Posted by kev57

well not quite but almost. I would dearly love to start tying my own flies but my eyesight is terrible. I tried before about 10 years ago and whilst I could tie salmon flies I just couldnt manage river trout flies. Can anyone recommend a magnifying glass type thing that could help me?

You have my sympathies Kev, not funny at all.
I am fortunately not that bad as yet, you wouldn't think so mind f you saw my flies.
Take a look at Maplins, I got a great magnifyer and lamp from them about 12 months ago for around £12.99, a real bargain, and whilst I try only to use it when I must, it is a great help.
Best S.

[kev57]

thanks for all he replies. I have tried the cheap ones on ebay but need something......a bit more precision engineered

[Clansman]

I got a daylight magnifier lamp from Maplins about 2 years ago. It was only £19.99 it is the first one in the link below. On sale again at £19.99 thia usually retail around the £40.00 mark

magnifier lamp : Maplin Electronics

[flyfishy61]

Originally Posted by fishay

Hi Kev, put a search in for this on ebay, its great for tying and you can pick it up for under a tenner.

HEAD MAGNIFIER HEADBAND MAGNIFYING HEADSET WITH LIGHT

hello i did this and a few different designs, which 1 did you buy ebay number or description name thanks

[lochbois]

When i saw the title fly tying for the blind i thought i would write to say that for 27 years i have been tying my own flies since i had a works accident.
I have over the past four years been useing reading glasses that my friend gave me.
I lost the vision in my right eye and the difficulty i found was in haveing no three d vision.
I wouldnt worry about flies being ready for fly tying comps.
I dont enter comps and i like to fish my flies the scruffier the better in my flies.
They have life.
I dont need glasses for every day vision but i have just been told i might have glucoma so i try to rest my eye more.
I laugh when people say they cant tie flies because they are too fiddly.
When i tell them i worked as a plant fitter and only have one eye they always have a go and most can make flies that catch fish.

[Scratch]

When I saw the post, I thought the same as the pub landlord...

An Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman walk into a bar.... the landlord says..... ''Is this some kind of joke?''

One things for sure... tying won't make your eyes any better.

[SharkeyP]

My advice is rather than shelling out and a clunky magnifier that gets in the way try some cheap reading glasses. For a couple of quid you have something that does the job (shortens the distance at which you can focus) without breaking the bank or cluttering your tying desk. They come in varying strengths, the bigger the number the greater the level of magnification. It's a fact of life that after 40 your lenses become less elastic and your eyes can no longer focus on near objects. My wife freaked when she saw me in cheap reading glasses, said I was ruining my eyes, insisted we went for an eye test. Turns out I have better than 20-20, a slight astigmatism but don't require glasses. I only wear them for tying flies and tying smaller hooks onto my leader.

SharkeyP