I recently bought some glass beads at the local craft store and find they look great on my small flies. I use the size 11/0 beads for tying on #16 and #18 hooks and they seem to slide on perfectly and add a nice highlight of color (and a bit of weight) to the head of the fly. And they catch fish. These will work great for hot spots on scuds and other nymphs and wet flies as well. Use one (or more) for a thorax and pair it up with some clear cure goo…now you’re in business.
Love this post! Gave me a little inspiration. Keep it up! Great tie!
Thanks Lisa!
sweet flys. very nice with the beads
I wonder what size beads would work for 12’s and 14’s?
I would look for something just slightly larger.
10/0 or 9/0, they make them as large as 6/0. like size 8 flies
Looking for pink
Glass beads reflect the sun light and have had much success with them.
Try walmar t or craft stores they all have beads.
If you have a hobby lobby your area that’s where I have found them
I went to Michaels and found some beautiful beads and about a tenth of the price at flytying stores. I use some of the smaller one to make eyes and they look so real.
Sizing beads can be tricky. The key is the hook bend (radius) and whether or not you can slide it up to the shank. Also, not all beads are equal. In any given package you will find variations in size, shape and diameter of the hole. So if the first bead doesn’t quite fit keep trying others and there are diamond files (round like a needle) available at bead stores and craft shops that will allow you to enlarge the hole in the bead to get the fit you want. And Joe Warren’s book is a great reference for technique and patterns.