The Steelheading Secret Legit Fly Fishers Don’t Want You To Know

[HauntedByWaters]

It’s beads.

Just thought I would get the first bead thread out of the way on the new forum.

 

[Evan B]

i like beads

 

[Rob Allen]

I hate beads.

 

[Salmo_g]

I neither like nor dislike beads. They're a tool, an excellent bait, if the scoreboard is what you're about.

 

[HauntedByWaters]

I neither like nor dislike beads. They're a tool, an excellent bait, if the scoreboard is what you're about.

I wouldn’t call it a scoreboard thIng because it isn’t a competition. I like to catch more fish because I am a fish nerd. I like to see more of them up close.

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

I'm down with most beads.
Beads for fly heads - yep
Beads for drifting - definitely
Beads for crafts with my daughter - hell yes
Beads for beards (pirate style) - nice personalized touch
Beads for prayer - amen
Beads for guitar straps - rock on
Beads for Mardi Gras - no comment...

 

[Rvrfisher360]

Fish like beads, so I like beads.

 

[DerekWhipple]

They work, so I use them when I'm actually trying to catch fish. I'm not a fan of the hookup to landing ratio.

 

[Yard Sale]

I dislike beads because guides can have clients roll out a 10' cast, back row, and people with zero skills can catch 8-10 fish a day and call it fly fishing.

This is why I'm an advocate for mandatory retention.

If you want to harvest, beads are a great way to do it. If you just want to catch and release, challenge yourself.

 

[clarkman]

perfect timing....does this mean the honeymoon period of this shiny new toy is over?

I don't mind them. I fish them. If I'm bobber fishin' with my flyrod, I usually just go with an eggstasy egg pattern instead....works just as well. But I still have some pre-rigged in my bag....saved my ass the other day. What I really enjoy doing though is stripping streamers through deeper holes (VERY water dependent though), but it works quite well at times.

 

[SculpinSwinger]

I like to catch fish on a swung fly. The more I swing the more I encounter fish. I’ll never have an 8 fish day, and I am good with that.

 

[Tom Butler]

I went through a bead, and a bobber phase for a couple winters a while back when my spoons and such were not working so good.. Played with them a bit last year on a fly rod. I kinda feel like on the average day it doesn't matter what, it's a matter of getting it in front of them with a decent presentation. I do have some eggstasy coming with my vice order.

 

[brownheron]

My opinion only - Fishing beads with a fly rod is the worst sort of agony and I refuse to do it. I guess I'm a weird sort of purist as I only fish flies with a fly rod. But...

...I will fish the shit out of beads with a gear rod if that's the right tool for the water. I prefer the very pretty jigs that I spend waaaay too much time tying to make a difference but sometimes beads or a yarn globug are the ticket.

This chunky boy may or may not have bit a bead yesterday...

 

[JACKspASS]

They work. Are they the most efficient at hooking steel? Very debatable, and according to my anecdotal streamside observations, probably not. Like alot of our favorite flies and lures, there is a time and a place and efficiency related to water conditions. Like all Steelheaders we all have our favorite colors, sizes, and profiles for different water conditions.

I believe there are three types of steelhead, 1) Kamikaze - will strike almost anything as long as it's presented halfass decently and within 5'
2) Selective, not suicidal like #1 these are the fish the 5%ers get the most of
3) Don't care who you are, these fish won't bite anything and are the reason we still have steelhead on planet earth

 

[skyriver]

I have nothing against beads. Just don't be the dude that rows back upstream to re-dunk your beads. That gets really old and even fish bros know it's not cool.

 

[Jerry Daschofsky]

i like beads

I remember the first time you fished out of my boat at one of the Hoh Downs you were rocking beads. You hit a couple that day.

 

[Evan B]

Truth be told I haven't caught a steelhead on a bead in like 3yrs or so. All my fish the last few years have been on the spoon or spey.

 

[Jerry Daschofsky]

I think this is actually well known. Just a lot of people don't want to admit to it.

 

[bennysbuddy]

the best beads I ever got where from a stripper in portland, man those things fished like they were blessed by the steelhead gods

 

[Old Man]

They work. Are they the most efficient at hooking steel? Very debatable, and according to my anecdotal streamside observations, probably not. Like alot of our favorite flies and lures, there is a time and a place and efficiency related to water conditions. Like all Steelheaders we all have our favorite colors, sizes, and profiles for different water conditions.

I believe there are three types of steelhead, 1) Kamikaze - will strike almost anything as long as it's presented halfass decently and within 5'
2) Selective, not suicidal like #1 these are the fish the 5%ers get the most of
3) Don't care who you are, these fish won't bite anything and are the reason we still have steelhead on planet earth

I got buck fever one time on the S/F Stilly. Was winter gear fishing with Sand shrimp. I was reeling in my line to get in another drift and to check my bait.. I looked down stream and there were 2 fish following my set up. Of course I Choked. I jerked my line and they just peeled off. I never did that again.