What it is
Hareline X-Eyed Cones are coneheads with an X-shaped eye socket built into the front. They’re a heavier-than-standard conehead option, and that extra mass helps a fly sink faster while giving the head a more realistic, finished look. The divots are made to accept glued-on eyes, and the shape helps create a jigging motion in the water.
What to tie with it
Use these as the head on conehead streamers and leeches when you want more weight up front and a clean place to seat eyes. Tie your body and collar back from the cone, then finish by gluing eyes into the molded divots before you coat or seal the head if you like. They work in both freshwater and saltwater patterns where you’re building a faster-sinking fly.
Flies and the fish they're for
The Sculpzilla Streamer is a natural fit for X-Eyed Cones, since it’s commonly fished as a sculpin-style streamer for trout in rivers and tailwaters, where getting down and staying in the lane matters. With the added head weight and jigging action, it’s also in the zone for predatory fish that eat baitfish and bottom-hugging forage, like smallmouth in moving water. Because the cones are saltwater compatible, the same idea carries over to coastal streamer-style flies for species like redfish when you want the fly to drop quickly and track hook-point up more often.
How it compares
Compared to a standard conehead, the X-Eyed Cone is heavier and is built specifically to take glued-on eyes for a more realistic head. Compared to Bob Popovics Tungsten Jiggy Heads, these don’t have built-in eyes, and Jiggy Heads come in smaller sizes.