I’ve been tying flies for years but only recently decided to tie some bead head nymphs (don’t ask me why I waited so long - I think I am too much of a traditionalist) I hope I’m not duplicating questions but I can’t find answers using the search or in the beg/int tying sections. So, here goes:
1st dumb question: When you tie a bead head do you use a larger size hook than you normally would to match a specific insect? For example if I would normally use a size 14 hook should I use a size 12 (or 10) to compensate for the size of the bead that isn’t really part of the imitation?
2nd question, probably dumber: My beads have a large hole on one end and small hole on the other end. Which end goes closest to the eye of the hook? When I put the small end closer to the eye, which seems more natural, the bead has a tendency to move back over the body of the fly. When I put the large hole towards the eye I don’t have this problem but it just doesn’t seem ‘right’. How do you prevent the bead from moving around on the hook?
Andrew,
When I tie bead-head nymphs I use a longer shank hook, such as 1X or 2X long. The small hole goes to the front of the hook. One way to keep it in place is to make a few wraps of lead wire behind the bead, and then shove into the hole in the bead.
Steve
Andrew,
the small hole goes toward the eye. All the patterns I’ve done have also have some lead weighting in the body. After wrapping the lead on, it’s pushed foward into the bead. Then the lead is secured like you would for any nymph and a ramp or smoothed body built. I’m a beginning tyer, but that’s how I learned it. This copper john link shows it.
Some beads tell you on the package what hook sizes they cover. I found this chart at http://www.arricks.com/tying/beadchart.htm . Hope it helps. Crushing the barb helps them slide on easier as well. Check the page because there’s more good information there.
if you don’t wanna use lead on the body just wrap thread behind the beadhead till it secures it good enough. thats what I do. also I just pretend the beadhead is the head of the fly and build on like normal.
Lately, I have been tying glass bead thorax flies. You may want to experiment with some of these. I use craft store glass beads mostly on barbless 18 to 14 hooks. The bead adds some weight and some flash. Also, for soft hackles it gives a nice surface for a backer to splay the hackle.
To keep the bead in place to begin with I just tilt the hook eye end down a little in the vise…then either lead /thread/ or by the time I’ve tied up to the head the materials hold it.
Small hole first helps the bead get around the hook bend. big hole first and it will crowd the hook eye. I do a thread wrap to make kind of a ramp that covers about 1/2 the bead then wrap all the way to the back of the hook with a thread base. I feel thread base secures everything just that much better. In Brian Chan’s dvd He does it that way.
I have fished beadless flies and then beadheads of the same type alternating back and forth sometimes the beadheads are working when regulars are not and vice versa . So when I lose a bead head I replace it with a regular , then if I lose the regular I put on a bead head. Sometimes it makes no difference sometimes it does. I think the beadheads work better on average but I sure could be wrong about that. It may be wishful thinking on my part.
If you tying chronomids for still water, white beadheads definately work better than gold does.
A couple of things I do with beadheads:
[ul]Because I don’t like to add extra weight in the form of lead wraps; I wrap a thick thread base just behind the eye of the hook and tie it off. I coat it with a little head cement and slide the bead over it. If you get it right the thread will keep the bead in place and center it on the hook shank. I also finish off my beadheads with a few wraps of sparsely dubbed thread just behind the bead. That pegs the bead even more and gives it a “finished” look IMO.[/ul]
[ul]Since I only use 1X long hooks for nymphs the length isn’t a big issue but I’ve recently gone to tungsten beads one size smaller than the brass I typically use which gives me more room.[/ul]
As far as the hole and slipping it around the bend; I have found that the holes in beads varies GREATLY among brands. Unfortunately many times you don’t have a choice but if you find that brand X works best for you;try and stick with that brand and hope they don’t change sources.
dont worry too much if the bead is a little loose at the eye of the hook. just tie the fly as you normally do all the way up to the bead and just whip finish with a few turns of thread and thats it. too much over thinking goes on when tying simple patterns.
A while back – couple of years ago, maybe – I bought some faceted tungsten beads. I don’t know if faceted is the right word. They look more like a cap nut than a disco ball. I got them online somewhere, maybe even ebay. I probably got them originally because they were cheap. I think I bought 100 of them in 4 different sizes. Turns out that I really like them. Makes telling the difference between tungsten and brass very easy.
Problem is, I’m running low and I can’t find any more. Has anyone seen these kinds of beads for sale anywhere?
Here’s another tip. When tying small bead-head nympths, size 14 and smaller, use two pairs of hemostats: 1 to hold the bead, and 1 to hold the hook while you thread the bead onto the shank. Your fingers are too large and unweildy for this delicate of an operation. It will save you lots of time and headaches.