Bead in front of or behind the hackle? Why?
Thanks
I am a long way from expert but the bead may be to simulate a bubble, a head, another body segment, for weight, some one tried it and caught fish with it that way.
Why not?
I am certainly no expert either, but if I want the bead to simulate the thorax, I’ll put the hackle in front of the bead. If I’m using the bead just to add weight and get the fly down a little deeper, I’ll wind the hackle behind it.
Joe
the bead behind the hackle keeps the hackle flared more in fast moving water. This keeps the fibers out showing movement instead of pasted down to the side of the fly. Or so I have been told.
Eric
tyers choice! experiment. 
I’ve seen patterns with the bead in back. It might have caught fish , but it didn’t catch me. Boy that thing was ugly.
I like them either way. Seem to catch trout for me regardless of position of bead on hook.
I like to have the bead in front of the hackle as I like to have the butter on top of the bread, not under it.
One moment here, if I put the butter under the bread I can turn it around.
If I put the bead behind the hackle it could be another body part.
You should not ask so complicated questions, I was quite happy with my simple life as it was.
Now I have to rethink everything all over again.
I’ll be in touch when I have figured it all out!
Beads on a softhackle??? Blasphemy!!!
Seriously, I typically use small glass beads behind the hackle on small caddis pattern SH’s to simulate the gas bubble on the rising pupa. Nothing wrong with using them as you see fit.
aa
I have tied some S/H with beads, but apart from
caddis using small glass beads, I don’t think that
they improve the fly.
But, I could be wrong, and it seems to me you should
not use too big a bead, small is beautiful. This may be
purely cosmetic, but a fly that looks right usually
works right.
Beads?
We don need no stinking beads!
Beads are for Martigra, not fishink.
I no like beads. 
See there, here y’all go again.
I was happy with my life. I had my beads on my nymphs, and occasionally on a streamer.
Now I gotta go re-think my fly-tying repertoire. (Bless you, Spellcheck!)
Shoot, there goes another coupla bucks worth of materials while I learn some new techniques!
Thanks a whole bunch.:mad:
Kirk
Putting the bead behind the hackle should make the fly fall more horizontal than nose-down. At least that’s what my minds eye sees.
Kirk
And it reduces the need for weight on the tippet, which I hate to use.
Love 'em. No weights to fumble with on stream. They seem to tumble better too, IMHO. I’ve had great success with them. Also they can be twitched upstream and get nailed from that direction also.
Here’s one I tie:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q11/bigbadwulff/fish%20pictures/tied%20flies/untitled.jpg
Hi,
While anyone can tie wingless wets as they see fit, however I do not favor beads on these flies. In my estimation, it impairs the action of the fly. Use a heavy wire hook, give the fly more upstream time to allow it to sink deeper. A ribbing of fine wire helps, too. If I want the fly to get deeper, I use a sinking line, or sink tip line. This will get the fly down without impeding the action that is desirable in these flies. Years ago, there were no beads, either during the early history of these flies and later during Leisenring’s time. Tinsel and wire were used as well as heavier hooks, and they were fished on lines that took up water, like silk lines left untreated, which helped sink the flies. We also think of these as wet flies, but they were also fished upstream, in the surface, tied on lighter hooks. Why limit their use by placing a bead on them? Just my opinion.
Mark
PS- Tinsel ribbing helps simulate translucence and air bubbles, or spay the fly with Scotchguard and fish it wet. You’ll get real bubbles. Also Hidy dried the fly out on a cloth, tissue or paper towel between casts so the hackle trapped air–a real bubble is better than a fake one. He called it a hydrofuge.
Mark! You expressed it much better than I did.
I think, if fast descent and bottom presentation is required,
use a weighted nymph [beaded or lead].