Nearly all the nymphs I tie have a bead head on them or behind a soft hackle. I've tied with the glass ones but they seem to break really easy especially if you are trying to get the nymph down into the water column where the fish typically feed. On some of the smaller dropper flies where they are typically "emergers" type flies on a swing glass is ok, I just don't find them to be as durable. I had just received a 100pac of the tungy beads from Greg who is a really nice guy and was really impressed on how quickly they had arrived and was tying with them yesterday and today right after I received them.

One good all around pattern that will work nearly any where is a flash back PT with a copper bead head. My variation uses midge flash as a tail tied with red thread with mirage flash running all the way up the back and over the wing case with a red "hot spot" (finishing point) behind the bead. Awesome pattern on which may or may not be my own variant since I've never seen anything like it but will catch fish anywhere. Tied down to #18 can become difficult but effective.

I guess it all depends on what you want to tie. If there is no local fly shop near to get bead there are plenty of online resources. I forget the statistic but I think it's like 80% or more of a trouts diet is subsurface. The best thing to do is pic a pattern you want to tie and try and obtain the materials for that pattern and then you can add variants to it to fit your desired taste. I also find "over sized" prince nymphs around my are work almost too well tied in a size 8 on a 200R. Go figure. Alot of these patterns work best if they hit bottom where the bigger fish typically are.

Cheers
-Jake