Tying bead heads

[BTflyman]

Ok gents and ladies, I am relatively new to fly tying and I am trying to make some bead head pheasant tails. I bought beads from Cabelas and I cannot get them around the curve of the hook!
I was working with both size 12 and 14 hooks last night and trying to use the biggest bead they gave me in the assortment (I believe size 3/16) and no way it would go around the bend! Only option I had was to take needle nose pliers and straighten the bend out a bit . I worry about this that I may weeken the hook. Am I doing something wrong? The hooks are mustard wet fly hooks. I even tried them on a scud hook size 14 and still would not work. Help!

 

[jayL]

The bead is too large for the hooks you are using. Google up a hook bead size chart to get an idea of what sizes to use. I'd post a link, but its difficult on a phone.

 

[BTflyman]

Jay,
Thanks for the reply. How is the bead too big to get around the hook bend? Its the largest bead and largest hole? Hey haven't seen you since last year at the "beginner jam" at the LL. So cool on your move to Montana. Will be one of my destinations! If it comes to fruition i will make sure I get a hold of you.

 

[jayL]

A 3/16 bead would be a better fit on a size 10 or so hook, off the top of my head. You will get a feel for it after a while.

You will want to use 1/8 or 7/64 sized beads, and they will fit around the bend.

Thanks for the kind words. Hit me up if you're coming out some time.

 

[sandfly]

make sure you are using a hook with a round bend. a sharp (limerick bend) doesn't work as well.

 

[Preamble]

A lot of times the bead will make the bend of the hook if you smash down the barb first - something that's probably a good idea anyway.

 

[BTflyman]

Thanks everyone all the info helped. Dang JayL...i'm not a physics major but in theory I thought a bigger bead would go around a smaller hood but I took your advise and used a small bead on size 12 and it worked! All coming together sitll working on that darn whip finish....does a half hitch work just as well?

 

[Darryl]

Here's a link for a bead/hook chart:http://www.arricks.com/tying/beadchart.htm

Also, a half hitch does not work just as well as a whip finish. Learn to whip finish, either with a tool or by hand (or preferably both). It is a skill that is well worth the time spent learning it.

 

[RLeeP]

Yes, a half hitch (or a few half hitches) works just as well as a whip finish in terms of durability. At worst, it may not produce quite as cosmetically appealing of a fly as one with a whipped head. I've been half-hitching all my flies for over 40 years and can count on both hands the number of flies I've had come unraveled at the head. Far, far less than I've had fish outright destroy without disrupting the integrity of the head. Just use a bit of head cement and try to get the hitches to tighten up as far back on the head as you can and as close to each other as possible.

At the same time, Darryl is right when he says that the time learning to whip finish is well worth your effort. This will be especially true when you get into tying really small stuff, say #20 and smaller. Once learned and done properly, it is also a good deal faster than half hitching.

But for now when you're still at the front end of the learning curve, there is nothing wrong or "lesser" about half hitching your flies. No sense in trying to swallow all the sardines in the can sideways at once. One at a time is fine... Just tell yourself you'll learn to whip someday. And even if when you eventually get around to it, its 40 years later and you're still half hitching, it isn't any big deal.

 

[odizz17]

I just picked up some 3/32 tung beads from cabelas last week... Fits perfect on size 14-16 nymph/scud hooks