To Bead Or Not To Bead?

[NormanMcLean]

Recently I have been thinking about different nymphing techniques and keep coming back to same question. To bead or not to bead? Or rather when to use a bead head nymph and when to use a single split shot with a standard nymph instead? If just the one bead is enough to get it down, is there any benefit in using one or the other? I have heard the beadless nymph will have more life to it as it lighter in the water, but is that it? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Guest tallieho]

well being that most if not all of my fishing is stillwater & i love to use cronnies ,the bead it is or wire .

[Guest bigbadbrent]

I'd have to say of all my size 12 and smaller nymphs, 90% are brass beaded, 5% tungsten, and the ones that aren't beaded, i never fish

[alhuger]

well being that most if not all of my fishing is stillwater & i love to use cronnies ,the bead it is or wire .

 

You could always use a swivel :>

[snakeman]

Depends on the situation at hand. On the Bow I rarely use beaded nymphs, I just drop unbeaded flies from a heavy SJW or stonefly and add extra weight as needed. Same goes for nymphing with a bobber on any river. When fishing a dry/dropper rig obviously a beadhead nymph is preferred.

[WesG]

And a similar question, does bead color make a difference to you?

[ogilvie]

Thats a really good question...Various rivers here in BC are fly fishing only and dictates that there is no weight applied to the line other than on the fly..anyway that's another issue...

95% of mine are beaded...

Bead colour...in slower waters definitely!

[hydropsyche]

Various rivers here in BC are fly fishing only and dictates that there is no weight applied to the line other than on the fly..

 

I never understood that rule. I can see regs against lead shot, but no shot at all? Does anyone know the justification in that other them making it harder to catch fish?

[ggp]

For me beads are more for attracting fish, than weight...If I need to get down, I wrap the shaft of the hook with weight when tying, and I keep my flies as sparse as possible, or I will add weight to the leader (where applicable and legal)...In still waters the weight of the bead becomes more applicable, especially when suspending a fly or flies below an indicator...beads were not widely used when I learned to fly fish, and we still caught lots of fish...so I guess when all is said and done, fish can and will be caught with or without beads.

[ogilvie]

For me beads are more for attracting fish, than weight...If I need to get down, I wrap the shaft of the hook with weight when tying, and I keep my flies as sparse as possible, or I will add weight to the leader (where applicable and legal)...In still waters the weight of the bead becomes more applicable, especially when suspending a fly or flies below an indicator...beads were not widely used when I learned to fly fish, and we still caught lots of fish...so I guess when all is said and done, fish can and will be caught with or without beads.

I never really began to understand Nymphing until i acquired a book and essays from famed British Nymph specialist "Frank Sawyer". what intrigued me most about the history of Nymphing was the debate within Englands' upper crust of fly fishers, the question" is Nymphing Fly Fishing"? Silly indeed.....to a dry fly perfectionist..is it?

As to the question about BC's no external weight on the lines when Fly Fishing Only reg's apply...it is simple to understand and enforced in very specific situations. With 400 Salmon gathering in slow moving pools a weighted"line" will encounter a Snag situation very regularly. Whats interesting is that Strike indicators are also in question...so on the Lakes where Brain Chan and Phil Rowley frequent these regs do apply....get the point.. We need clarity indeed!

[snakeman]

I never really began to understand Nymphing until i acquired a book and essays from famed British Nymph specialist "Frank Sawyer". what intrigued me most about the history of Nymphing was the debate within Englands' upper crust of fly fishers, the question" is Nymphing Fly Fishing"? Silly indeed.....to a dry fly perfectionist..is it?

I think someone would have to be a really stubborn purist to not appreciate the skill required for some forms of nymphing. Effectively fishing nymphs without a bobber often requires a higher level of concentration and attentiveness than dry fly fishing, in my opinion. But the worm + bobber method that works so well on the Bow is not really a fly-fishing technique, as you can use the exact same rig with a long spinning rod.

[ggp]

I never really began to understand Nymphing until i acquired a book and essays from famed British Nymph specialist "Frank Sawyer". what intrigued me most about the history of Nymphing was the debate within Englands' upper crust of fly fishers, the question" is Nymphing Fly Fishing"? Silly indeed.....to a dry fly perfectionist..is it?

As to the question about BC's no external weight on the lines when Fly Fishing Only reg's apply...it is simple to understand and enforced in very specific situations. With 400 Salmon gathering in slow moving pools a weighted"line" will encounter a Snag situation very regularly. Whats interesting is that Strike indicators are also in question...so on the Lakes where Brain Chan and Phil Rowley frequent these regs do apply....get the point.. We need clarity indeed!

This implies that only salmon spawning streams are the ones that have fly fish only regs on them and that is not the case...and as far as snagging is concerned far more fish especially salmon are foul hooked casting and retrieving streamers thru them on sinking or sink tip lines, when they are stacked up as you have suggested...And I am just curious as to were I have made reference in my original post to the B.C. regs. and nymphing slow pools for salmon? For that matter where have I mentioned in said post, fishing in B.C. ?

[reevesr1]

I use beaded almost exclusively. It's been effective for me, but I haven't used unweighted flies enough to really compare.

 

Snakeman, I don't know if that's a troll, but if not, I have to ask who the stubborn one really is? So to be clear, if you don't use a "bobber" and/or worm while nymphing, it's fly fishing. As soon as one or the other is introduced I'm spin fishing? Interesting distinction.

 

Does anyone know where I can find a nymph spin fishing website?

[snakeman]

I use beaded almost exclusively. It's been effective for me, but I haven't used unweighted flies enough to really compare.

 

Snakeman, I don't know if that's a troll, but if not, I have to ask who the stubborn one really is? So to be clear, if you don't use a "bobber" and/or worm while nymphing, it's fly fishing. As soon as one or the other is introduced I'm spin fishing? Interesting distinction.

 

Does anyone know where I can find a nymph spin fishing website?

 

Rickr, I was saying that someone would have to be stubborn to deny that nymphing without a bobber takes a lot of skill. My point about the worm + bobber rig is that it is not a technique that is exclusive to the fly rod, as you can use the same technique just as effectively with a long spinning pole.

[johnbransfield]

Definatly bead, i fish 100% without and indicator, so being able to feel that weight, and feel the fly ticking against the bottom helps tremendously and as a result you feel alot more strickes then you miss. But not just beads but weighted flies, perticularily cezch nymph bomb. Sometimes i will tie a bomb flie with three beads in the body, tapered from one big one at the head, then two smaller ones, wrapped in different coulered floss. If the flies don't have a bead head then they will most likly have some form of weight on the body, be it leadwire underneath of copper wire on PT. I try and tie with either tungsten or lead for the most part.

[hydropsyche]

Rickr, I was saying that someone would have to be stubborn to deny that nymphing without a bobber takes a lot of skill. My point about the worm + bobber rig is that it is not a technique that is exclusive to the fly rod, as you can use the same technique just as effectively with a long spinning pole.

 

So if I used my spinning line without a "bobber" and I used another heavily weighted fly other then a "worm", what would that be? Would that be flyfishing or could I then call "your" method spin fishing?

[ogilvie]

This implies that only salmon spawning streams are the ones that have fly fish only regs on them and that is not the case...and as far as snagging is concerned far more fish especially salmon are foul hooked casting and retrieving streamers thru them on sinking or sink tip lines, when they are stacked up as you have suggested...And I am just curious as to were I have made reference in my original post to the B.C. regs. and nymphing slow pools for salmon? For that matter where have I mentioned in said post, fishing in B.C. ?

No,many Streams have "FFO" regs for conservation purposes, some Steelhead Streams are so...F...ed up the remaining fish are too vulnerable....many regs apply only to periodic times and sections.

You sound a bit "OFF"...you did not mention "fishing in BC?" nevertheless, reg's are regs and should be enforced or changed. I like High Sticking and Nymphing of all kinds. ..Snowbee has special rods and lines for Nymphing Czech style used throughout all of Europe during the competitions that I surely don't understand....split shot is used widely for this or double and triple flies on the set-ups. A very effective way that catches fish...

Have a good day

[ogilvie]

So if I used my spinning line without a "bobber" and I used another heavily weighted fly other then a "worm", what would that be? Would that be flyfishing or could I then call "your" method spin fishing?

I think many of the Brits at the time were only those that could afford to fish the better beats...the same applies here in Canada at times witht eh Atlantic Salmon fly fishers...wishing only to raise a Salmon to the Dry Fly...and it's great indeed

[snakeman]

So if I used my spinning line without a "bobber" and I used another heavily weighted fly other then a "worm", what would that be? Would that be flyfishing or could I then call "your" method spin fishing?

 

Yeah you could use a spinning rod to fish a nymph without a bobber, but you wouldn't be able to get the same presentation and drag-free drift that you can get consistently only by using a fly rod and floating line.

[ggp]

No,many Streams have "FFO" regs for conservation purposes, some Steelhead Streams are so...F...ed up the remaining fish are too vulnerable....many regs apply only to periodic times and sections.

You sound a bit "OFF"...you did not mention "fishing in BC?" nevertheless, reg's are regs and should be enforced or changed. I like High Sticking and Nymphing of all kinds. ..Snowbee has special rods and lines for Nymphing Czech style used throughout all of Europe during the competitions that I surely don't understand....split shot is used widely for this or double and triple flies on the set-ups. A very effective way that catches fish...

Have a good day

You are correct regs are regs and should be followed and enforced, who said otherwise?

[hydropsyche]

you did not mention "fishing in BC?"

 

No. That was me. Just wondering on the origins and logic of that reg.

[bulltrout]

i say go beaded unless the fish are pressured and leery of flashy flies...if that's the case, then go au naturel...

[jones]

*without and indicator, so being able to feel that weight, and feel the fly ticking against the bottom helps tremendously and as a result you feel alot more strickes then you miss.* Disagree. This was discussed previously here. Tightline fishing is fine for close up fishing but not practical for casts beyond a few feet. what is described cant be done when casting out any distance and you have no control over the fly without a bobber unless swing fihsing on a tight line which is another techniqe

[johnbransfield]

To be blunt, thats thats how i do it. Casting up stream keeping tension and stripping slack line in as the flies come towards you works along with highstick nymphing. Ultimatly i prefer to try to be as close as possible yet maintain a low profile, practicing traditional czech nymphing. but have adapted a more polish style nymphing which is a more long line technique for tough situations during compition when you need to fish your whole beat and it has produced fish for me that i have needed to boost me up after a bad session. Having said that, i use it anytime im nymph fishing. Watching my loop connector for any slight stop in movement that looks fishy and I strike. In which case i need a heavier fly to see all thats going on down there, and get to the fishes level, which makes me choose to bead rather then not too on a stream.

 

When fishing loch style it is more less 2/3rds of the time because i usually have at least two flies beaded out of three on my line. Unless fishing epoxy buzzers, catatonic leaches, boobies etc. Along with the fact that I often will be using either and intermidiate or sinking line when fishing stillwaters. If i am fishing the shallows I will use beadheaded flies to get the leader down with a floatingline.

So many variables, yet I usually choose to bead rather then not too.