Beads & Eyes

Beads are big part of the perfect fly fishing experience.

Beads are made for numerous many fishing purposes. In the section below we've covered the key scenarios in which beads are essential. For a start, they protect your knots from the sharp edges of the lead weights, which can otherwise cut your knot as they slide down your line.

Beads add good weight & a superb shine to your fly.

Beads are a method of increasing weight and shine to a fly. The beads as we know them have been around for a years and it's suspected their history goes back centuries.

Typical bead head patterns use the brass or gold bead, and they available in most fishing stores. Just about any wet fly can be fitted these beads, adding beauty and also more efficient deep fishing.

Many fishers also say that the extra shine of the bead will be an added lure for the fish. Another similar theory suggests that a gold bead imitates the air bubble given off by most emerging insects which helps them rise to the surface... a behaviour that fish are well aware of!

The majority of beads have big holes in them which enables passing the bead over the barb and the bend of the hook. Because if the hole is not sufficiently enough, the bead can get caught up while passing the bend.

Take a tip from the Europeans!

We hear from our fishing cousins over here in Europe that mamy of them are using slightly different beads in which both holes are the same dimensions. This means they weight more and, more importantly, because the beads are gold plated they will keep their shine (most go dull eventually).

Exclusive: Tying the perfect bead.

Many, many tiers have a tough time getting many types of eyes or beads to sit properly. If you've tried you'll already know that eyes always seem to twist, and beads always some to slide up and down the hook shank when the fly has been cast a few times... but it doesn't have to be that way!

The solution is super simple: Super Glue! These 'super' glues - also known as cyanoacrylates - have incredible strength, strong enough to meld metal. Simply add a tiny drip after the first couple of times you've turned the tying thread and the eyes will like stay in place until the end of time.

You can also use this method for beads: just add a drip before the bead slides down onto the hook shank.

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