Little beads

[JohnPowers]

Been some time since I bought new materials. Who sells the tiny beads and wire for zebra midges? Thanks

 

[Ramcatt]

Craft store
Pack of a couple thousand for like $4

 

[troutslammer]

are you wanting to make the fly heavy or just look pretty ? pretty flys (diff. colors , bright , glitter )= craft store - flys that sink (tungsten) = fly shop - there is a difference ! And not only in price !

 

[PSH]

There are specialty bead stores that have a tremendous variety and they are cheap. Try Potomac Bead.

 

[1wt]

[color=0000FF]flys that sink (tungsten) = fly shop - there is a difference ! And not only in price ![/color]

I agree! You have to use tungsten or you won't catch anything.

 

[gutcutter]

1wt wrote:
You have to use tungsten or you won't catch anything.

gee whizz?
all of those fish I have caught without tungsten. I must have been dreaming...

 

[Ramcatt]

Tugsten on a sz 20 or 22 zebra midge?

ive never seen anything smaller than 1/16" which are are fine for 16/18 maybe a 20 (which will look odd and may not pass the bend)

the correct 1/32" beads for a 20 or 22 are going to be from a craft store and not tungsten

 

[WildTigerTrout]

1wt wrote:
[color=0000FF]flys that sink (tungsten) = fly shop - there is a difference ! And not only in price ![/color]

I agree! You have to use tungsten or you won't catch anything.

Maybe you won't. Nothing wrong with the old style brass beads. They still catch fish.

 

[phillyfly]

I like to use the glass killer caddis beads to give added color with my midges or i use the standard brass beads. If i need to get down a shot does the trick. I dont like the tungsten becuase I sometime fish a zebra midge off a size 22 midge pupa tied with just a oiler puff of CDC. Doesnt float the best even with frogs fanny as is and a tungsten bead would sink it quicker than without one obviously.

http://www.wapsifly.com/pdffiles/wap/page%2045.pdf

 

[troutslammer]

sz 1/16 tung is for hook sz 22-26 , 5/64 tung is for hook sz 18-22 , 3/32 tung is for hook sz 16-18 , 7/64 tung is for hook sz 14-16 , 1/8 tung is for hook sz 12-14 , 5/32 tung is for hook sz 8-10 , 3/16 tung is for hook sz 4-6 . you be the judge and yes a tung bead on a sz 22 zebra midge is a good choice atleast for me. brass beads have their place but i def. prefer tung. to get down to where i wanna be , after that brass bead , no bead whatever

 

[flipnfly]

arent most midges fished in the middle of the water column? sorry its off topic ....

 

[Ramcatt]

please feel free to post a sz 26 with a 1/16" bead

 

[troutslammer]

go to www.performanceflies.com , click on regular bore tungsten beads . click on the gren package to enlarge it , there it will tell you that a 1/16 tung bead will work on a sz 22-26 hook (i have done it !) if you buy the orvis big eye hooks u can put an even bigger bead on a sz 20 !! good luck , oh and to answer the midge in the middle of the water column is it a larva or pupa you are trying to immitate there is a difference on where they are "mostly " found (hint: larva cant swim )

 

[Ramcatt]

great to know that you are making suggestions by what you read on the internet

here is a sz 20
1/16 tug VS. craft store glass bead

so yeah 22-26 arent going to look any better

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Tiemco 2488H size 24 - one with a craft store glass seed bead, the other with a Performance Flies 1/16" tungsten bead.

Looks pretty good to me.

The tungsten bead mic'd out at .063" - pretty accurate for 1/16".

 

[Foxgap239]

Damn Ed. I had a hard time getting beads on a 20, how the hell did you get them on a 24? Better eyes than me my friend.

 

[mcwillja]

1wt wrote:
[color=0000FF]flys that sink (tungsten) = fly shop - there is a difference ! And not only in price ![/color]

I agree! You have to use tungsten or you won't catch anything.

With all due respect that statement is false....very false.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Foxgap239 wrote:
Damn Ed. I had a hard time getting beads on a 20, how the hell did you get them on a 24? Better eyes than me my friend.

These things happen when I drink a whole pot of coffee.

Here's the same 1/16 bead on a Varivas 988 sz 28. BTW - I tried it on a Tiemco 518 sz 32, but it slides over the eye. :-D

 

[Maurice]

Sumpthin weird going on.....

 

[Ramcatt]

my tung bead came directly from harline and is their "plumeting tugsten" ... and was a newly opened pack lastnight... so no chance of beads mixing

Hook is some TMC light wire scud... i have to check the #... but a hook that use for zebra midges (which is the basis for this convo)

HA's hook is a 3x wide heavy wire egg hook... a glo bug hook

i did not pull out my micrometer for my beads