Wire underbody vs. bead/cone head

[wgmiller]

I'm just getting into this tying thing, so pardon me if this question has been covered before or is basic. I have a question regarding using a wire underbody versus a bead or cone head for adding weight to a fly.

From a cursory glance, the only drawback I could see to using a wire underbody is that it would add "body" to the fly. Adding other materials on top of that could create a body too large. A wire underbody seems to be a more uniform weighting of the fly versus weighting it in the front.

So to boil it all down, how do you determine whether to go with a bead/cone head or weight the fly through the body?

Thanks in advance for the feedback...

 

[HuntinFool]

personally i use beadheads more then anything else. the fish dont know what got the fly in front of them. and the ones i tie with wire really arent that much larger then usual

 

[MKern]

I go as heavy as I can without making the fly look junky.
They have really small lead too. Plus I use twist-ons lead strips for certain things.

I also use bead heads as well. I do find cone heads to off balance the fly, but not while fishing, but rather casting.

 

[hammertime]

For a size 12 hares ear I'll use .20 lead wire with a beadhead.

The heavier the better for me. Less weight to put on the leader. I fish Penns alot which is a place were very few people get there nymphs deep enough to be very effective.

 

[jayL]

I use both. I mainly use beads for flash, not weight. Tungsten beads cost more than lead wire and brass beads, so that's the route I usually take.

 

[gfen]

Lead is cheap. Beads are not. Beads are flashy. Glass beads are cheap and flashy.

Glass beads, lead underbody. I'm a skinflint.

 

[sandfly]

any kind of metal bead/conehead will make the fly more like a jig, where as a nice lead or wire wrapped under body will keep the looking like a fly under water a moving more level.

 

[afishinado]

I tie nymphs with no weight and fish it in the film, with a bead for a little flash and weight, with lead wire which gets deeper without flash, with a bead and lead wire for flash and depth. Each has it's use.

I do not use tungsten beads though, too expensive. I use lead wire from .010 thru .030 diameter. You can weight flies down to the smallest sizes with thinner wire depending on how you attach the wire. You can wind it around the shank, tie it longways along the shank, tie it on both sides of the shank to achieve a wider, flat body, etc.

 

[ryguyfi]

I'm with gfen. I use cheap craft store beads for a lot of my flies, and taper lead on the hook to make my fly look more 3d. I sometimes take some pliers and flatten the lead, because more nymphs are flat, rather than round. I haven't found a perfect system, but most of my nymphs are weighted as much as I can. I do some with beads, and some without just for variety, not necissarily for weight. I tie some unweighted flies, but if it's the same pattern as a weighted fly I forget which is which. I know some guys use different color thread to tell the difference and I'm just not that organized to do so.

Adding more weight to my flies when I tie has significantly helped my fishing.


Ryan

 

[bam]

another advantage to leading up the shank is that the nymph will hook point up, reducing snags. I never use tungston. Too pricy. a bead and lead do the job.... if it doesn't, just add shot.

 

[ryguyfi]

If the lead makes the hook ride up, shouldn't we all tie our flies upside down? Or, if I recall from another thread a while back, are we correct because it was found that nymphs ride to the surface upside down......hmmmm......

 

[bam]

I guess it depends on if the trout will be viewing the fly from underneath, straight on, or from above. Most of the time, I don't think it matters unless fishing slow moving water. hummmm....

 

[shipnfish2006]

I use beads for flash, but typically put lead on about 75% of my nymphs and streamers. The rest I don't put any weight on at all and use as a dropper during a hatch.

 

[sandfly]

adding weight to the shank will NOT flip a fly. adding weight (bead chain, lead eyes, etc.) to the top WILL flip a fly...A hook is made as a balance between the shank and the curve/point to be equal. there for if you add weight to the shank it will stay upright, if you add weight to the top you will flip the fly...Bam I do give lessons......

 

[jayL]

Sandfly,

A weighted curved shank hook rides point up when the weight is on the shank. I believe that to be fact.

 

[sandfly]

thats the only hook that will do that. i am talking bout a standard hook. i will hve to test the curve shanks now,

 

[afishinado]

Yup, curved hooks like the TMC 2457 flip upside down with weight on the shank. The curve is above the centerline and when the weight on the shank overcomes the weight of the hook bend, it flips upside down...every time.

Sometimes a good thing, but be careful weighting scuds. I don't like them to ride upside down.

 

[sandfly]

afish- so you are saying that chech nymphs will flip also. kinda defeats the purpose of all the shell backs..

 

[afishinado]

sandfly wrote:
afish- so you are saying that chech nymphs will flip also. kinda defeats the purpose of all the shell backs..

Yeah, a lot of them do flip upside down if too much weight is placed on the crown of the curved shank. I suppose they are a little more snag proof on the bottom in that case. If you carefully place the weight below the centerline of the shank, it will remain upright, but most flip. I really believe those flies don't really look like much of anything to the fish besides something good to eat anyway. I believe that for the most part, we kid our selves when we think our flies are close imitations to the naturals.

 

[sandfly]

I agree thats why my flies are different than most, I look through the fish's eyes. from below..