Glass Beads

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.

fly tying with glass beads

fly tying with glass beads


12 comments on “Glass Beads

  1. Roger Mitchell on

    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.

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  2. Gerry on

    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.

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