What types of beads do you prefer to use?

[Adam Grace]

What types of beads do you guys prefer to use?

I use brass more than tungsten, but I do use a bunch of tungsten on certain flies when I need to go DEEP.

Glass beads add a nice addition of light and lightweight drift-ability.

Also what colors of beads do you prefer to use?

I like the copper color more than gold, less flashy, but it also depends on the overall color scheme of my flies.

[Darian]

Hey Adam,.... I tend to make my choice of color or type of bead based on what I'm trying to accomplish in the pattern. For example, I use a nickel plated, counter drilled bead for the head on a very heavy Alevin pattern. Then, I paint the eye style on the bead. So, I have no real preference of one over the other.

[Bob Scheidt]

I like the Spirit River brass. Gold, Copper, Black Nickel, Nickel, flourescent orange and chartreuse. I use em all. I also like their pearl white, it looks good on a white, grizzly bugger.

Copper will still tarnish if you have it for years, even in a doubled zip lock bag. If you use it in a year or 2 or 3, it is fine.
Most of the beads I fish in moving water are off dries, as droppers. I always felt the tungstem would sink the dry, even a Stimulator.

In lakes I still use the brass or glass beads. I like the glass beads with the silver lining on the inside. The scarlet glass beads come that way, as do other colors.

Pleasanton was a very good show!
Bob Scheidt

[Adam Grace]

Bob, in my experience #14 nymphs with small, 3/32 or smaller tungsten, beads are supported just fine by bushy dries like a stimulater. The nymph gets down quicker and stays down longer, I love tungsten beads on small droppers.

I also like Spirit River beads, their copper beads are treated to resist the tarnishing, I like that Spirit River does that. They make some nice beads.

[SteelieD]

I voted glass, but that's mainly because I've been tying alot of different midge patterns in a varity of color combo's. The glass beads with the silver linings are cool looking.

For metal beads I prefer a muted color like black nickel or copper rather than the bright gold.

I tend to tie a lot to please my eye. Hopefully they are pleasing to the fish as well!

[Hairstacker]

I voted for brass since that's the vast majority of what I use. Mostly gold and copper. I have some tungsten beads as well -- hard to beat 'em when you want the fly to get down now. Just wish they weren't so darn expensive.

[JT]

I voted for glass. The glass beads come in many sizes and just about any color you can think of. They don't add much weight, but they look good on small mayflies and midges. If anyone is interested in buying glass beads, try Bead Time, a bead shop on Oliver Road in Fairfield. For a couple dollars you can buy a year's supply of beads (possibly even a lifetime's supply, dependnig on how much you tie).

[Bob Scheidt]

Wapsi has a new greenish chartreuse, almost glass looking bead, only it is a brass bead. Not really like the Spirit River's chartreuse brass bead, which looks good too. Also I saw the new cerise, purple, and blue brass beads from Spirit River. The purple and cerise looked good enough for me to pick some up.

Bob

[Terry Thomas]

Different beads for different applications. The only thing I do not like are "slotted beats."
T.