Hello all and hope we are staying warm well and safe just a quick question about bead head colours there are so many to choose from I have bought a few gold coloured beads and like the results..
When tying nymphs are the beads representing the head of the nymph or just for weight.
And are the nymphs hatching with gold heads or should I try some of the other varying colours..
Just a curious question..
Many thanks
Gary
Hi Gary.
I use beads a lot for both rivers and stillwaters. I don't personally use gold, silver or copper, prefer metallic finishes and black painted. I do have painted red and olive. I use a bead colour to match the colour of fly. Black buzzer with black bead, olive buzzer with metallic olive and so on. I use metallic because it does give a flash or shine. A lot of nymphs etc fill with gas to rise to the surface and help split nymph case before hatching. I do use a pale metallic pink bead for grayling bugs.
I have seen different insect pupa under a microscope and when ready to hatch they really do have a flash or mirror like effect so silver etc are ideal (just not my preference). I tie and use a grey nymph for rivers and use a gunmetal or black nickel bead, some times black painted if fishing it light and nymphs are active/ready to hatch.
Using a bright colour can also get a fish's attention, hotspot. Again not my preference but far too many people catch fish with them so definitely try them.
Hello all and hope we are staying warm well and safe just a quick question about bead head colours there are so many to choose from I have bought a few gold coloured beads and like the results..
When tying nymphs are the beads representing the head of the nymph or just for weight.
And are the nymphs hatching with gold heads or should I try some of the other varying colours..
Just a curious question..
Many thanks
Gary
Good question Gary. By far my most successful pattern on the Wharfe for the past two seasons has been a black nymph with a gold rib and bead, I have absolutely no idea why, but it consistently catches me more fish than a black and silver or black and black pattern. GED's point about air bubbles and silver beads is a good one though and pink or orange beads are definitely attractive to grayling on the day.
B
Thanks fella.. I will have a look at some various beads and tie a few up and see what the fellas here think.. If you have a moment could you out a pic up of your nymph so I can see what in trying to tye up.. No probs if you can't...
G.
I fish a tightline drop shot nymph rig on rivers.I don't even need tungsten beads to get my flies down.But i still use loads of beads in 2mm size.For me flash & certain colours make a big difference some days.I have always liked silver beads most.I also use powder pink metallic pink & a few in hot orange painted.I do like beadless czech nymphs & shrimps too.Czech nymphs are just as deadly now as they were back when czech nymphing was all the rage.Plenty choice nowadays with beads.
Indeed there is and they don't have to be tungsten as it's good to have flies which will drop slower from time to time.
Don't forget the availability of silver lined glass beads which are often available in sewing, and embroidery shops. They often add life and sparkle to flies . . .
A tungsten bead colour you don't often see is white. I've still got a couple of little clear plastic bags containing white tungsten beads that I bought, out of the boot of his car, from Toby Merigan, years ago on the banks of the Taff at Taffs Wells, prior to when he set up the original Funky Fly Tying. (I dread to think what the patrons of the pub opposite thought we were exchanging!)
Before a trip to Slovenia I was tying up a lot of beaded nymphs and I found this pattern, the Grayling Fall Little Nymph in the first Czech Nymph book (Karel Krivanek et al) and what a fabulous pattern it's been for me over the years.
I use tungsten beads in pink, copper, black, cammo, rainbow, purple, silver and a new one I got from Bogdan which is a sort of olive sunny colour and looks superb on the hook.
Silver seems to be a good colour for me at present. 23 out of 24 grayling on two venues recently on a size 16 with 2.8mm jig off beads. Tail is paint brush fibres which are better that microfibbets and about 5000% cheaper, rib of red copper wire, body of hares fur and a thorax of pinkish orange UV Ice dub applied with a dubbing spinner.
Copper and black seem to rule the roost for me on stillwater buzzers.
Many thanks Bobp and all who have commented. Will do a little shopping and try tye a few nymphs. Will update when the beads land..
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