Dumbbell eyes
Also called barbell eyes, lead eyes, brass eyes
A pair of metal balls joined by a short bar, tied onto a hook shank to add weight and act as eyes. Common on saltwater and baitfish flies where a jigging, hook-point-up ride matters.
- Group
- Beads, eyes & weight
- Category
- Fly tying — materials & tools
- Level
- Beginner
- Water
- Saltwater
Last updated
What Dumbbell eyes means
Dumbbell eyes are a weighted set of eyes for a fly, usually two round metal ends connected by a small stem. They get lashed to the top or bottom of the hook shank with figure-eight wraps and then locked in place with thread tension and cement.
In saltwater tying they show up on patterns meant to ride hook-point-up, like many shrimp and baitfish imitations. Placing the eyes on top of the shank flips the hook over in the water, which helps the fly track with the point up and reduces snagging on bottom or turtle grass.
They come in different sizes and materials. Heavier eyes make a fly sink faster and give it a more pronounced jigging motion on strips and pauses. Lighter eyes keep the same profile without dragging the fly straight to the bottom.
Why it matters on the water
Knowing what dumbbell eyes do helps with fly choice in shallow flats versus deeper edges. A heavier set gets down quickly, but it can land hard and spook fish in skinny water. A lighter set lands softer and stays higher in the water column.
They also change how a fly behaves during the retrieve. Dumbbell eyes tend to make a fly keel and dart on the pause, which matches a lot of shrimp and small baitfish movement and keeps the hook riding in a safer orientation around grass, shell, and rocks.
Read next
- Clouser MinnowA weighted baitfish streamer with lead or brass eyes that make it ride hook-point-up. It’s used in fresh or salt water to imitate small fish and move quickly through current.
- Crazy CharlieA Crazy Charlie is a small, lightly weighted flats fly that suggests a shrimp or small baitfish. It is a common choice for bonefish and other shallow-water species.
- Hook sizeHook size is the numbering system that tells you how big a fishing hook is. For most trout hooks, bigger numbers mean smaller hooks, and hooks larger than size 1 use “aught” sizes (1/0, 2/0, 3/0).
- Tungsten beadA tungsten bead is a small, heavy metal bead tied on a hook to add weight and help a fly sink faster.
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