The Basics by Bonner - an excerpt from the Bead fishing Bible - by Randall Bonner
Field and Stream writer Patrick McManus once said that, “There is no greater fan of fly fishing than the worm.” On the spectrum of bait lobbers and feather flickers, bead flingers are probably somewhere in the middle, drawing their congregation from both sides of the fence. However, much like fishing bait, “fly” fishing a bead is almost as sacreligious as it is effective.
Shannon Martin with a wild steelhead caught on the Situk River with a 12mm flame orange Troutbead under an indicator with fly gear.
When talking about “fly” fishing a bead around the water cooler, it is imperative that you use “finger quotes” when you say the word “fly” so as not to offend the purists in the room. A bead is arguably not really a fly. When stream regulations with bait restrictions state “use of flies and artificial lures only” they’re broken down into two categories, and you can guess which one of those the bead fits in. This tactic is referred to by most guys behind the counter at the fly shop as “the dark side,” because it’s power is overwhelming to the point that the convenience of tying on a plastic ball in a few seconds instead of spending hours at home on the vise tinkering with natural materials is tempting, and temptation is at the root of all evils. Should you be tempted to dabble into the aspects of catching a steelhead on a fly rod (using a bead) as a gear angler, this guide should help walk you through the steps as a beginner. If you’re an indoctrinated purist, an O-bead-Wan Kenobi who may have been gifted this book by someone from the dark side, use the force and jump right ahead to the Jedi guest portion of this chapter written by Lael Paul Johnson on the advanced tactics of Euro-Nymphing.
Many of the tactics used by gear anglers originated from fly anglers in Alaska. The simple transition from the traditional glo-bug presentation to a hard-plastic bead opened new doors for the opportunity to create a more life-like presentation of a free-floating egg. The glo-bug, made from yarn, exhibits a different behavior in the water. It first has to be soaked before it will actually sink. The surface area of the fabric catches water, moving it along faster. Many fly anglers used the glo-bug in addition to a secondary presentation with added weight. The resistance of the glo-bug helps move the weighted presentation along in the same way that gear anglers try to achieve by the design of bobber-dogging presentations.
Starting with a single-egg fly rod bead presentation, start by matching your rod to the fish you’re targeting. A 7wt is ideal for steelhead, adjust slightly more for salmon or downsize to a 5wt for trout.
As for line, Rio Trout/Steelhead Indicator line has a front taper designed for turning over indicators. The weight is spread out among the head length with a long body and back taper allows for stability during long range casts, and ease of mending. This may be a better option for summer steelhead or low water conditions where you need to distance yourself from the target. Another option is Rio Xtreme Indicator line, which is designed to have a weight forward taper with a heavier, shorter, front section better for indicator fishing or heavier weight and rigging. This may be a better option for winter steelhead, where higher flows require more weight and larger indicators. Rio Gold is a sink tip line that is ideal for swinging or drifting beads without an indicator.
Tapered leaders are a great option and add to the ease of casting, but they also take some getting used to in order to dial in the weight rating where you decide to shorten the taper and add your own leader. This will take some experimentation, and ultimately, a little trial by fire and learning from your mistakes. The end of the tapered leader should be stronger at the connection point where you would you change out your tippet, or an additional leader tied to a swivel, fast-snap, or terminal tackle. This way you don’t lose terminal tackle as well as your leader, and you can easily change out leaders and offer different presentations without shortening the tapered leader. For a detailed and spiritual explanation of tapers, see the chapter on Line, Knots, Zen and the art of Tapering.
An Artic Char caught on a custom painted bead by Ty Wyatt on the Agulapak River. This fish is likely skilled at the games of chubby bunny and Hungry-Hungry-Hippos.
You can design your own taper using various weight ratings of monofilament. Starting from your fly line, tie in an 18” section of 20-25lb monofilament, then another 48”-54” section of 15lb monofilament, then another 36” section of 12lb monofilament. From there, you can attach 12lb flouro carbon or lighter and 10lb mono or lighter, and your tippet or terminal leader will likely break before the taper does.
Beads are typically fished with an indicator on fly rods. This not only allows an angler to quickly detect strikes, but also keeps the presentation inline with the current while traveling downstream. Unlike a typical fly that would swing as the presentation travels downstream, the most natural presentation of a free-floating egg is one that simply travels the direction of the current.
Placement of the indicator is not on the fly line itself, or right at the connection of the fly line and tapered leader. The taper acts to slowly transition the diameter and better distribute the weight to make casting smoother. An indicator placed at that connection will put a kink in a smooth cast and be more difficult to roll over. Leaving an 18”-24” section of tapered leader between the connection point and your strike indicator will ease the flow of kinetic energy and allow for an easier roll cast. Putting the indicator on the stiffer end of the tapered leader rather than the noodly fly line will also help carry over the indicator during your casts.
Style of indicator is mostly personal preference. The adhesive pinch on indicators seem a little light, and not as ideal for a weighted bead rigging meant for strong river currents. On the bright side, they are inexpensive. Yarn indicators almost seem sacrilege for a bead angler, because... well... they’re yarn.
Sliding pinch floats that are tapered or football shaped are a good option in slow moving water or smaller creeks. The surface area helps move the presentation along. The brand Fish Pimp makes a football shaped indicator that has dimples like a golf ball that helps with movement of the presentation in the same sense as a chopped float does for gear anglers when bobber-dogging.
Bubble indicators, like the Thingamabobber brand, which is probably the most popular and common, have the visual appeal to a bead fisherman’s eye being a very simple, round object. I don’t know if that helps catch fish, but it definitely seems to be more aesthetically pleasing. There are several different styles of bubble indicators available. Sizing is mostly dependent on the kind of water you’re fishing, but ideally the smaller you can get away with the better. Bubble indicators are meant to even float somewhat slightly subsurface, but within sight. They don’t necessarily have to be above water, but if you can’t at least see it, then what purpose is it really serving? Avoid the ping pong ball sizes if you can, even if it means going to the optometrist.
Tony Amato tricked this S.E. Alaska Dolly Varden into biting by matching the “coho spawning hatch” with a hard orange bead pegged with a toothpick.
The original style was designed for a sliding float style presentation for fishing Chironomids and pupa patterns. However, you can fix it in place by pushing a loop through the gromment and looping it over the bubble, then tightening. The problem with this simple rigging technique is that it puts a lot of kinks and stress into the tapered leader, creating damage that can affect your casting if you have to adjust the indicator to different depths. You can however add a bobber stop, but because it’s at the thicker end of a tapered leader, it’s best to do this with a D.I.Y. style taper so it’s on a section of line with a consistent, flush diameter. Rubber stops might be difficult to thread on larger diameter lines, so silicone or nylon might be a better option. Fly line backing also makes a great bobber stop if you want to tie your own sliding bobber stop. Tie a nail knot on the tapered leader. Thread a bobber stop bead, then thread the bubble indicator on through the grommet, and add another bobber stop bead. Tie a second 3 to 4 turn nail knot with fly line backing onto the leader, and slide both knots up against the indicator, then slide the apparatus up and down to your desired depth. You can also do this on a standard tapered leader using old pieces of discarded fly line that will better expand to fit the taper and hold the indicator in place.
The pegged style is probably the easiest to adjust, but the peg doesn’t always stay put either. The peg itself adds some stress and chafing to the line after repeated use as well.
The locking wingnut style is easily and quickly adjustable with minimal damage to the tapered leader. It does put a small, but mostly insignificant kink into the leader. However, the wingnut helps prevent chaffing and further damage to the leader. It is a little more bulky than the traditional style, but when rigged it sits more inline with the taper. The wingnut will usually face down when the presentation settles in during a drift, with the bubble facing upwards, much like a yarn indicator would behave in the water.
Adding weight while maintaining the streamlined rigging means that a little extra attention to detail can make a big difference in casting and even prevent tangles. A dangling tag-end weight explained as a “secondary” weight in the diagram to the left will sometimes put a kink into a roll cast and even catch the hook if the line rolls into itself. A small split shot, round, not reusable, placed directly above the smaller end of the taper, just above the terminal leader or tippet, will place the presentation inline with the current. You can also cut a piece of hollow core lead and thread it onto the taper to work in the same sense as a sliding egg sinker.
An excerpt from the Bead fishing Bible
