Other Articles By John Guldin • Tie The Japanese Beetle • Barefoot On The Bow -More info on saltwater fly fishing.

By John Guldin




Do you tie nymphs with bead heads or without? In this day and age, probably both. However, keep in mind if you are a tyro tier that bead heads [and also cone heads] have not been around all that long. Therefore, if you are an "old timer" you probably have many nymphs in your boxes without the little gold bead. Now what do you do? Throw them out? Tie all the patterns again only this time with bead heads?

How about those times when a gold bead seems like it is too much flash for certain trout and you wish you had an "old style" natural-looking nymph knotted on the end of your tippet? Are you going to deal with this situation by tying each pattern, size and color with a gold bead and without a gold bead? That will be a lot of tying. In addition, for you anglers that buy your flies that will be a lot of cash.

Well, here is a little tip that works for me and should work for you when you wish you had a gold bead on your nymph but don't. Put on a gold bead!

What I do is take a small container of beads in various sizes and colors with me when I go fishing. If I want a gold bead and don't have a particular pattern tied with a gold bead head, I simply slip a gold bead onto the tippet and I have a bead headed nymph! Many times the bead fits snugly against the eye of the hook, but even if it doesn't it stays close and still looks good. More importantly, it works.

You may even decide that you will tie or buy your nymphs without bead heads and put them on as necessary. This way you get two for one. No longer will you have to wonder, along similar lines, as did Hamlet, "To Bead or Not to Bead: That is the question."