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Attention bead huckers
Post 23 Mar 2020, 17:51 • #1 
Guide
Joined: 12/20/19
Posts: 101
Location: Christchurch, NZ
I use beads. Mostly tungsten. I can’t deny the effectiveness they bring but I don’t like them. First I think they ruin the appearance of an otherwise beautiful fly and secondly the risk to the rod.
3/32” is the largest I use. Perhaps I miss out on some fish but I’m okay with that.
The perdigon thing does nothing for me either.
I sometimes wrap a fine tungsten wire under body but it’s not as heavy as a 3/32” bead.
How about you guys out there?

Michael


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Post 23 Mar 2020, 17:54 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/21/06
Posts: 3080
Location: Orygun
way to start a thread in a non-confrontational manner....haha!

On nymphs, I use them a lot. I use big ones, I use little ones, They work great. I don't care how my trout flies look. I don't fish for show. I've never harmed a rod while fishing heavily weighted nymphs. I open up my loops. I like Perdigons.

All that said, I usually fish unweighted streamers...


edit: man, that felt good to get out....


Last edited by clarkman23 on 23 Mar 2020, 19:30, edited 1 time in total.

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Post 23 Mar 2020, 18:41 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/07/18
Posts: 382
Location: Reston VA
The new nymphs with weighted heads and garish bodies put me off too. They look like terrestrial skat. But then, I'm a card carrying old fart.

Heddonist


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Post 23 Mar 2020, 20:18 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/06/17
Posts: 2498
Location: South of Joplin
What exactly is a "bead hucker"? Is hucker a regional thing or a generational language gap?

I don't know whether to be all offended or not.


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Post 23 Mar 2020, 20:53 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/21/06
Posts: 3080
Location: Orygun
Trev wrote:
What exactly is a "bead hucker"? Is hucker a regional thing or a generational language gap?

I don't know whether to be all offended or not.


It might have been coined by the same folks who fish their fly pole.


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Post 23 Mar 2020, 21:17 • #6 
Guide
Joined: 12/20/19
Posts: 101
Location: Christchurch, NZ
I had no idea some may have never heard that term for throwing.
I remember trying to cast large cased caddis patterns tied with lead under bodies and how dreadful that felt to cast.
I guess I fall into the old fart category too!


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Post 23 Mar 2020, 23:56 • #7 
Guide
Joined: 04/03/19
Posts: 221
Location: CO
I’ve dabbled with Spanish nymphing, and I prefer dries or a good partridge and orange to tungsten nymphs any day. However, sometimes the fish are at the bottom, especially on highly pressured waters or during the winter.

Sometimes I even have to use one of these:



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Post 24 Mar 2020, 00:13 • #8 
Guide
Joined: 12/20/19
Posts: 101
Location: Christchurch, NZ
What’s the biggest bead you use though?

CO glass guy....is that a royal mop fly?


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Post 24 Mar 2020, 00:27 • #9 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/21/06
Posts: 3080
Location: Orygun
biggest I currently use is some big ole 5.5mm on some larger stonefly patterns. Tungsten & they cast pretty easily on my 6wt trout rod (actually pretty well on my 3wt 'Euro' rod as well).


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Post 24 Mar 2020, 05:53 • #10 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/29/09
Posts: 906
Location: US-MI
Long ago a friend enjoyed my Orvis HLS five weight rod so he purchased one for himself. My friend broke his rod casting a fly with a weighted head. While he was awaiting a repair or replacement I loaned him my rod for our next fishing trip. I was close enough on the stream when I head the sickening sound of him causing the exact damage to my fly rod. Each time he broke a rod it was while casting a fly with a weighted head and the fly struck the rod.

Personally tie some flies with weight and do use them on occasion. Prefer to fish without the weight.

Think fiberglass is generally less fragile than graphite yet this damage could happen with any material.


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Post 24 Mar 2020, 07:32 • #11 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/07/18
Posts: 382
Location: Reston VA
I have always use split shot to get flies deep but I only use the mini shot -- in strings if necessary. Never had any rod damage and the shot does not rattle off the bottom or otherwise spook fish. And I have no dents in head either -- beyond a few from non fishing encounters that is.

Heddonist


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Post 24 Mar 2020, 08:02 • #12 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/06/17
Posts: 2498
Location: South of Joplin
Stalkermike wrote:
I had no idea some may have never heard that term for throwing.
I remember trying to cast large cased caddis patterns tied with lead under bodies and how dreadful that felt to cast.
I guess I fall into the old fart category too!

I've thrown,chucked, chunked, whizzed and slung rocks and such for well over 60 years but never hucked anything or seen it done nor heard of anyone doing it.
Huckster, as in peddler is as close as I've heard.

Since others seem to recognize the term, it must be that I have led a sheltered life? The young folks use a lot of new words invented with social media and fantasy lives/games etc. and have given many new definitions to existing words, is why I thought it might be generational.

Bead-heads are jigs, and jigs have a place in fishing; they can be most effective in some circumstances and though I sometimes use them, I don't really consider them "flies" either under a cork or on a mono rig- I guess that makes me an "old fart", "flies are made with fur, feathers and hair".
That said, I'm a fly rod fisherman more than a fly fisherman, so ...
In the right place I will and have fished jigs up to 1/16 oz. with my fly rod and I have trout jigs down to 1/100oz. 1/32oz are as heavy as is usually practical though. The beads are what ever size they are, mostly bought here or there randomly as an "I'll try that". I have three or four sizes of beads that I bought ten or twelve years ago and have no idea what material or size they are, if they seem to fit the hook and pattern that's the size I'd use.

If you roll cast or Belgian cast or use a wide loop you can chunk some heavy stuff and not damage a "vintage" 'glass rod. I used to use a lot of spoons and in this area live bait, like crawdads and minnows, was commonly fished with fly rods in days past.


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Post 24 Mar 2020, 09:28 • #13 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/21/06
Posts: 3080
Location: Orygun
Bottom line, it's weight added to your fly. So is lead wrap. So is unleaded wrap. Split shot does the same thing. Sink tips get flies down in the water column too. They're all a means to and end. That's it.


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Post 24 Mar 2020, 11:39 • #14 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/27/16
Posts: 2327
Location: US-IL
For sure on that guys.I live for catching fish on top ,even with "gear". I use a lot of tung jigs .the first time i did was on very fast carbon.I embedded a jig in the back of my head when a cross wind caught it casting forward.If i am out for a long walk of several hours i will usually have a heavy spinning rod and some senkos for bass if i need to.Some prime spots are too far and too deep for any fly fishing.I like to occasionally catch a fish .Some days they are too spooky for all the commotion of a fly line in the super clear water,


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Post 24 Mar 2020, 22:53 • #15 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/12/17
Posts: 390
Location: SW B.C.
CO Glass Guy wrote:
I’ve dabbled with Spanish nymphing, and I prefer dries or a good partridge and orange to tungsten nymphs any day. However, sometimes the fish are at the bottom, especially on highly pressured waters or during the winter.

Sometimes I even have to use one of these:



Have you no shame? There could be children present! :lol


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Post 27 Mar 2020, 04:21 • #16 
Master Guide
Joined: 01/25/18
Posts: 553
Location: Brazoria County, TX
I love tungsten beads. Tungsten sinks over twice as fast versus the same weight of lead thanks to tungsten’s much higher specific gravity, 19.2 versus 11.3. With tungsten, one can use less weight and still get a faster sink than lead. Extra Weight and bulk is generally the enemy of fun fly casting. BTW, Sinking fly line is a powdered tungsten concoction. I’ve recently used powdered tungsten on flies set in UV cure.

I use tungsten beads with balanced leeches. This week, a blue black arizona Simi Seal/chartreuse marabou/deep red tying thread balanced leech has been annihilating various channel cats and assorted sunfish. This is a small, sparsely tied leech tied leech using a size 8 90 degree jig hook and a 3/32” bead. Only that color and size will work, but it’s a fish every cast type of deal. One size up will work on the catfish, but not the sunfish and the bigger size is less effective on the catfish. Other flies and colors seem to be ignored, I’ve tried many. There’s a major forest tent caterpillar fall going on here and the fish are in a frenzy, water is literally churning with fish activity, feeding on them. I’ve got one leech that size and one the next size bigger left, but the caterpillar hatch is about over. Been using my 2 weight CGR and a 3/32” bead leech can be tossed 40’ feet without any trouble with the 2 weight and 3 weight floating line. A 3# channel cat is a hoot on the 2 weight.

The shrimp have a 5/32” bead at the 60 degree bend. The borski sliders don’t have a bead, but rather small tungsten dumbbells. All these are among my most productive patterns. I do also fish no added weight flies, so I’ve got nothing against not adding weight to a pattern. :lol





Last edited by karstopo on 27 Mar 2020, 04:34, edited 1 time in total.

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Post 27 Mar 2020, 10:21 • #17 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
Yes, the density is important, and the concept of bulk/density for maximum penetration can be extended to the rest of the fly design, improving appearance of the fly as it will be fished. Tie a fly with three times as much body material and fiber as needed to create the impression intended, and that much more weight is needed to sink it. They look great dry and fluffed up. In fishing, they hold a lot of water for even more weight and bulk in casting, and the fibers move less freely as the fly is fished. Sure they work, but for casting ease and fishability for deep running flies: heavy wire hooks, tight bodies with minimal bulk, minimum winging and tailing material--so sparse that the fibers may be countable. Bead as desired, but smaller will be needed for a given sink rate, and the bead will do more to control the attitude of the fly when fished. Further sink rate adjustments, if that is the priority: tie a size X fly on a size X plus 2 hook. Dramatically shorten wing and tail relative to the hook length. Use wire ribbing.
For the basic idea, compare a wooly worm with wire ribbing and small bead, or none, to a wooly bugger of the same color combos and bead. Find out for yourself which fishes better under the same circumstances. I'm not telling.


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Post 05 Apr 2020, 15:12 • #18 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 03/30/09
Posts: 1525
Location: Hamilton,Ontario,Canada
Anytime I have a beadhead on I open my loop and avoid hitting the rod.I have been Clousered in the back of my head though. :)


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Post 05 Apr 2020, 17:34 • #19 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/21/06
Posts: 3080
Location: Orygun
I always laughed at some of the steelhead guys out here who were always critical of anything with a beadhead on it yet would tie some flies on an extra heavy 5/0 hook for the weight.


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Post 05 Apr 2020, 18:11 • #20 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/27/16
Posts: 2327
Location: US-IL
Big hooks scare me more than bead heads.I tie some good size bass bugs and streamers on big hooks that have brushed my face when a sudden gust makes that seemingly good cast change direction.I once hung a plastic worm on a tree,Was using 20lb stren mono.I pulled straight on the line outside the tip.It broke alright and the bullet worm weight stuck in my belly about a quarter inch.That was 30 years ago and i still have the scar.


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Post 05 Apr 2020, 18:32 • #21 
Guide
Joined: 12/20/19
Posts: 101
Location: Christchurch, NZ
Right on Hersh!
I did it last season. Whacked a size 24 hook into my left ear lobe.
The smallest hook I fish and the only one I don’t de barb.
Using brute force and ignorance I pulled it out. Hurt real good.
When I stopped bleeding I managed a bit more fishing.


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Post 05 Apr 2020, 19:23 • #22 
Inactive
Joined: 02/16/14
Posts: 618
Location: Roanoke, VA
Weighted/dumb bell/beaded flies are 80%? of my fishing. No broken rods, glass or graphite.
Sounds like some folks need to work on their casting. ;)
I too, have bonked a clouser off the back of my noggin.
That tunes you back in, quick like.


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Post 05 Apr 2020, 21:30 • #23 
Sport
Joined: 05/06/17
Posts: 26
Location: US-CA
I've been tying bead head flied for several years now. I have never broken a rod by having one hit it. There are times when I will use good old lead because it makes the fly sink correctly when the fish are being picky.


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Post 06 Apr 2020, 09:23 • #24 
Sport
Joined: 04/13/12
Posts: 86
Location: US-NC

Here are my "bead huckers"... maybe it's a "country boy thang" :lol



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Post 06 Apr 2020, 10:33 • #25 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
I just bought some purple tungsten slotted beads. Yum. :)


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