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

"Tim J." wrote in message
...
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

FWIW, I have started leaving one of the tag ends of the leader to tippet
knot uncut. I then add the split shot to this tag end. It prevents abrasion
to the leader or tippet proper, and if you want to reduce the weight, you
can just clip it off or simply slide it off. My 2 cents.

"Tim J." wrote in message
...
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

FWIW, I have started leaving one of the tag ends of the leader to tippet
knot uncut. I then add the split shot to this tag end. It prevents abrasion
to the leader or tippet proper, and if you want to reduce the weight, you
can just clip it off or simply slide it off. My 2 cents.

Why not various weighted nymphs... I seem yo get "wind" knots if I try using
split shot and I think its easier to change a nymph than to add a new tippet

Bead head nymphs have been very popular in New Zealand for a number of years
now and I have had extensive experience using them.

However, I find myself rarely using the standard beads these days and am
more inclined to go with tungsten beads for a variety of reasons.

I agree 100% with you that trout do become aware of the beads and on hard
fished areas I have concluded that the bead can be a deterrent to the fish
once they've been caught on them a few times. In fact the past couple of
seasons I have seen a swing back to traditional nymphs in many areas as
anglers become aware of this.

Some observations about bead flies as it applies to New Zealand fishing.

By and large Gold beads work best on rainbows. Dark or copper beads work
best on browns.
Browns become wary of bead flies faster than rainbows do. I have a couple of
patterns where I use a tungsten bead as the thorax to get the depth without
the fat profile and not have the bead totally obvious to the fish. We rarely
use split shot in NZ.
Flies such as the prince nymph certainly seem to be more effective with a
bead added.
Tungsten beads work better... I have a theory on this and it's not just
about depth. I believe the increased density of the tungsten bead actually
helps slow the drift of the fly. The current a few feet down is often much
slower than the surface current and I believe the tungsten beads are more
inclined to ride the current they are in at the same speed, hence more
takes. My justification for thinking this has been when fishing to trout
sitting in three feet of water and making several presentations to the fish
with, say, a bead head prince and getting refusals only to get a take when
offering exactly the same fly with a tungsten bead. The depth achieved was
identical, the pattern identical the only difference the density/weight of
the bead.
It is common here to also have a small unweighted fly trailing off the bead
head nymph.
I also find a tungsten more effective than standard beads when trailed off a
dry but use large dries like Stimulators or Cicadas to hold them up.

New Zealand nymph fisherman traditionally use flies with more standard
weight than most US anglers, so beads have become a large part of the
angling culture. Are they better? Too tough to answer. Do they add another
angle and trick in the box? If used with thought I think they do. In
themselves they are another fly and I find them an essential part of my
tackle these days.

My 2 cents worth ... (Which on the current exchange rate is worth about
$1.25 US)

Clark

"Steve Egge" wrote in message
...
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

Bead head nymphs have been very popular in New Zealand for a number of years
now and I have had extensive experience using them.

However, I find myself rarely using the standard beads these days and am
more inclined to go with tungsten beads for a variety of reasons.

I agree 100% with you that trout do become aware of the beads and on hard
fished areas I have concluded that the bead can be a deterrent to the fish
once they've been caught on them a few times. In fact the past couple of
seasons I have seen a swing back to traditional nymphs in many areas as
anglers become aware of this.

Some observations about bead flies as it applies to New Zealand fishing.

By and large Gold beads work best on rainbows. Dark or copper beads work
best on browns.
Browns become wary of bead flies faster than rainbows do. I have a couple of
patterns where I use a tungsten bead as the thorax to get the depth without
the fat profile and not have the bead totally obvious to the fish. We rarely
use split shot in NZ.
Flies such as the prince nymph certainly seem to be more effective with a
bead added.
Tungsten beads work better... I have a theory on this and it's not just
about depth. I believe the increased density of the tungsten bead actually
helps slow the drift of the fly. The current a few feet down is often much
slower than the surface current and I believe the tungsten beads are more
inclined to ride the current they are in at the same speed, hence more
takes. My justification for thinking this has been when fishing to trout
sitting in three feet of water and making several presentations to the fish
with, say, a bead head prince and getting refusals only to get a take when
offering exactly the same fly with a tungsten bead. The depth achieved was
identical, the pattern identical the only difference the density/weight of
the bead.
It is common here to also have a small unweighted fly trailing off the bead
head nymph.
I also find a tungsten more effective than standard beads when trailed off a
dry but use large dries like Stimulators or Cicadas to hold them up.

New Zealand nymph fisherman traditionally use flies with more standard
weight than most US anglers, so beads have become a large part of the
angling culture. Are they better? Too tough to answer. Do they add another
angle and trick in the box? If used with thought I think they do. In
themselves they are another fly and I find them an essential part of my
tackle these days.

My 2 cents worth ... (Which on the current exchange rate is worth about
$1.25 US)

Clark

"Steve Egge" wrote in message
...
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.


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.


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

"Steve Egge" wrote

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.



I never use bright beads anymore, just black or "nickel black" and in
tungsten for the added sink rate

"Steve Egge" wrote

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.



I never use bright beads anymore, just black or "nickel black" and in
tungsten for the added sink rate