beadhead softhackles

[gpatton]

Thanks for posting the hooks Donald. There is something I really like about the hook (I think it's the varivas 2200 curved if I am reading correctly) used on the Rusty Dun you posted above. It is nice they offer a barbless version as well. It saves the step of crimping down the barbs before each tie.

[AlanB]

There are a couple of ways I use to put the bead in front of the hackle on this kind of fly.
You can put a small piece of silicone tubing on the hook shank to seat the bead on. If you do this well you will get a little collar of tubing around the hook eye that protects your tippit from any sharp edge on the bead.
Second method is to partly cover the bead. I do this by tying on something like pheasant tail, or floss, pointing forward over the eye. Whip finish, then slide the bead onto the thread base. Restart the thread behind the bead and pull the material over it. I like this method for two reasons: 1. It lifts the bead slightly out of the gape of the hook. 2. Covering part of the bead breaks up the reflection. My theory is, that when you want to draw someones attention to something you put a flashing light on it, not a constant one. Emergency vehicles for example. By breaking the reflection on the bead you get the same effect as the fly tumbles.

Once the fly is tied whip finish behind the bead and add a drop of cement. Don't trim out the thread. If your fly has a dubbed body then apply a touch more of the dubbing to the thread and form a second whip finish using the dubbed thread. Or catch in a peacock herl and wind that. If you wind it tight to the bead you can get your second whip finish in without it showing.

The idea of using coloured copper wire for the body has been very productive for me. Not only winding a single strand, but by weaving the wire.

Cheers
A.

[EdD]

Donald, how do you feel about the use of beads as a thorax and to make the soft hackle stand out more?

Thanks,
Ed

[Donald Nicolson]

Hi Ed,
I have never been happy with Beads on Spiders, a small dubbed thorax is better.
Larger nymph pattern might be passable but even then I have doubts.
The very small, 150mm, beads I used with the Varivas patterns are not much bigger than a thread head and look ok to me, if some weight is required.
But, as I've said before, this is purely a personal preference.

[EdD]

Mr. Nicolson, those two flies look a whole lot better than "OK". They are quite beautiful.
Thanks for sharing them.
Also, I really like your hooks and I'm going to look for them over here.

Ed

[Lake Erie High Ball]

AlanB,

Thanks for the tips. I will have to give them a try.

Sean

[Greg H]

I too would put the bead behind the hackle - if it must have a bead. It works the same as a tuft of dubbing there - although the bead probably should be smaller than pic 3. You can put a base of thread there and crazy glue the bead in place, or you can actually wrap thread on one side, do a half hitch and then just bring the thread to the other side. A single strand of thread is hardly noticed but locks the bead in place.
If you wrap the hook with lead, the traditional way to tell which are weighted and which are not is to use different coloured thread on one vs. the other. Sometimes the thread is read, but you could also use green or brown if it is for these 'nymphs'/spiders and you want a more natural look.