traditional nymphs vs. bead heads?

Willi & Sue wrote:
Tim J. wrote:
Guy Thornberg wrote:

????
Opinions.
Never tied them.
Weight, appearance, results, more?


I don't notice much difference between beaded nymphs and using split
shot as far as fishing goes, *BUT* it's much easier and faster to
switch from beaded nymphs to dry when a hatch starts poppin'.

Why is that? You just cut off thew nymph and slide off the weight?
Not too hard.

The split shot I've used has either a tendency to slide around on the
tippet if too loose, or cause abrasion to the tippet if tight enough to
stay put. Maybe I'm not doing something right. Ideas?
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

"Guy Thornberg" wrote


Opinions.


I carry two types ... unweighted ( what I mostly use ... with shot if
needed )

and a few beadheads that I use, mainly, when I come upon a sight nymphing
opportunity while fishing dries .... I snip off the dry tie on a BHPT,
BHcrystalmidge or BOP and toss it to my fish, that being visible is nearly
always in relatively shallow water feeding. With the two or three BH
nymphs I routinely use I have a good feel for sink rate and I can often get
that fish in a few casts ( I don't think pattern matters much, 95% of the
time with nymphs ) OR I spook him and go back to dries and different fish.
I pick BHs over traditional weighted flies for this simply because a glance
tells me if I have weight or not, and I want to rig and make my appeal to
the trout asap

Settiing up for nymphing the water and moving up a stream the unweighted and
shot works better, as I add and remove shot with some regularity on most
streams

"Guy Thornberg" wrote in news:Va-
:

????
!!!!

Opinions.
Vary.

Never tied them.
Always a first time.

Weight, appearance, results, more?

More? Given weight, appearance and results you want more?
What more could you ask?

????

;-)

Steve

Guy Thornberg writes:

????
Opinions.
Never tied them.
Weight, appearance, results, more?

In what I consider my home waters, it was illegal many years ago to add weight
to your tippet/leader/line. And, for awhile anyway, it was illegal to have a
weighted fly. The laws changed and beadheads became very popular to get the
nymph down in the water column to where the fish were feeding. I used to use a
beadhead to get the fly to the bottom, and an unweighted nymph (my intended
lure) tied to the beadhead. It worked well, but not as well as split shot
added to the leaders about 16 inches or so above the fly.

Once split shot became legal, I stopped tying beadheads and concentrated on the
same flies sans beads.

I think there is probably some flash or sparkle to them and it may or may not
attract the trout. But, prefer fishing without beads.



When

It depends on what you are tying. on longer flies such as a wooly bugger or
leech it adds an undulating motion - the up down motion on the retrieve as well
as adding an attractant depending upon the bead color. But this can also be
done with lead wire and crystal flash. It is a good and fast solution to many
fly enhancements (flash, motion, sinking ability esp with tungsten)

On the other hand I sometime felt that the bead heads on some flies were so
common on a stream that it was a tip off to the trout that it was an artificial
and not to be eaten.

just some thoughts ....
Steve Egge

"Guy Thornberg" wrote:

????
Opinions.
Never tied them.
Weight, appearance, results, more?
G

Guy Thornberg wrote:

????
Opinions.
Never tied them.
Weight, appearance, results, more?
G



I think that adding weight to the leader instead of using a weighted
nymph of any sort lets you be more flexible. By adding and subtracting
weight as needed, it allows you to put the fly in the right place in the
water column in varying conditions. That, IMO, is far more important to
success than fly choice or any other factor. I prefer unweighted nymphs
with added weight.

Willi

"Guy Thornberg" wrote


Opinions.


I carry two types ... unweighted ( what I mostly use ... with shot if
needed )

and a few beadheads that I use, mainly, when I come upon a sight nymphing
opportunity while fishing dries .... I snip off the dry tie on a BHPT,
BHcrystalmidge or BOP and toss it to my fish, that being visible is nearly
always in relatively shallow water feeding. With the two or three BH
nymphs I routinely use I have a good feel for sink rate and I can often get
that fish in a few casts ( I don't think pattern matters much, 95% of the
time with nymphs ) OR I spook him and go back to dries and different fish.
I pick BHs over traditional weighted flies for this simply because a glance
tells me if I have weight or not, and I want to rig and make my appeal to
the trout asap

Settiing up for nymphing the water and moving up a stream the unweighted and
shot works better, as I add and remove shot with some regularity on most
streams

Guy Thornberg wrote:
????
Opinions.
Never tied them.
Weight, appearance, results, more?

I don't notice much difference between beaded nymphs and using split
shot as far as fishing goes, *BUT* it's much easier and faster to switch
from beaded nymphs to dry when a hatch starts poppin'.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj