Tungsten Beads - Necessary or Superfluous?

[jeepclown 0]

On the majority of beadhead patterns I tie, I use brass beads with no difference in fishablity. On those instances where I do want to increase the sink rate, I use small lead wire and tuck it into the bead. I may even use the lead wire as part of the thickness of the thorax. Surely, the increase in material density is not worth the increase in cost, is it? Maybe I'm just really cheap! Does anyone have any input on how or why to justify the expensive tungsten? Thanks, Chris

[tyrite 0]

Tungsten Bead have several yous es for one if you are fishing in a really fast river that is 6' to 9' deep then a Tungsten Bead is a great bead to yous. Now if it for a small stream I wouldn't recommend them. and the same can be sad for deep lakes.

you are right a bout the cost they are Qitt ab it more so I would buy One pack and select one fly for the test and find out if you like them before you buy a lot of them.

 

My two cent's tyrite (Glen Dayton)

[maddog48 0]

I use more tungsten than anything.

 

 

Mike

[miked 0]

I almost exclusively use tungsten beads now. I no longer use lead on my flies now cause of that. Other than perhaps Czech nymphs.

 

Mike

[Dezod 0]

I don't use tungsten exclusively, but I do use it selectively for a couple of reasons. First a number of places, especially national parks out west here are putting restictions on lead because of high fishing pressure. If I want a little extra weight on top of that brass bead I can't use lead. I read somewhere that tungsten is 2.6 times heavier than lead and that feels about right if you hold one in your hand. If you want the fly to get down and you can't use lead in the fly or as shot on the leader then tungsten seems to be the most widely available, heaviest alternative in the smallest package. Also for really fast water it does get the fly to the bottom much quicker.

[flytire 0]

you could double up on the beads - see here

 

http://fliesfactory.com/index.php?kateg=25...mp;nadkategid=1

[glm38 0]

I'm definitely cheap and hate paying the extra $$ for tungsten. However one of the best flies on my home waters is the zebra midge so I tie a lot of them. I've found that for the #18 - #22 zebras I tie tungsten just works much better. It is sparse pattern so building the body up with lead is just not an option. I've tried standard non tungsten beads and they just don't work as well. I'm sure that is due to the slower sink rate.

 

I had never thought of double beads? Interesting concept. I wonder how a double brass bead zebra would work? Or even a double tungsten (it sure would sink fast!).

 

For other patterns I've used standard beads and lead underwraps with good sucess.

 

Greg

[jeepclown 0]

I can definitely see the advantage to tungsten, especially in very sparse flies in deep, fast water... but I still think that for the most part tungsten is overkill. What about split shot ahead of the fly. Or casting further upstream of your suspected fish lie. That 2 beads is very interesting. I could use 10 beads for the price of one tungsten!

[glm38 0]

I can definitely see the advantage to tungsten, especially in very sparse flies in deep, fast water... but I still think that for the most part tungsten is overkill. What about split shot ahead of the fly. Or casting further upstream of your suspected fish lie. That 2 beads is very interesting. I could use 10 beads for the price of one tungsten!

 

I agree with you. A small split shot ahead of the fly will work. But I hate using split shot as well as that soft lead putty. It never stays in place for me very well, comes off, and increases my wind knots and tangles.

 

Greg

[jeepclown 0]

 

 

I agree with you. A small split shot ahead of the fly will work. But I hate using split shot as well as that soft lead putty. It never stays in place for me very well, comes off, and increases my wind knots and tangles.

 

Greg

 

If you abut the split shot on the rod side of the tippet knot (or even tie another tippet knot), the shot will not travel down the line. A split shot does change the action though.

 

[beaverfsu 0]

One other advantage of Tungsten--some of my local shops stopped carrying or have limited supplies of lead....

[jeepclown 0]

"some of my local shops stopped carrying or have limited supplies of lead...."

 

That's because the greenies have pushed the hype that animals are suffering from lead poisoning from ingesting the lead used in fishing flys and shot-gun shells. As if they are just going around and gobbling it all up! What a crock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :hyst:

 

[tyrite 0]

Just think of tungsten beads this way they are 2.2 times heavier then brace beads. They also come in different sizes so you can get a size 1/16" for nice small flies and up to 5/32" also one more size bigger.

Know you sin the 1/16" for a small Midge you don't have to put lead on the body for the deep pools.

so there is a big plus right there.

 

tyrite (Glen Dayton)

[thym 0]

I fish tungsten doubles sized #16 by French style up the stream at small clear streams and it works great...better than commonly weighted patterns I think. Of course its depending on many impacts.

It isn't to expensive I think - 2 tungsten beads could cost about 0,22 Euro, hook & material as well = your fly is for 0,5 Euro. Not to bad

[Zach Bearden 0]

In competition style fishing (FIPS-mouche regulations) you can't use Split Shot. But you can use brass with lead. But when you need to get deep a tung bead with lead wraps is awful helpful.

 

But as for your original question "Does anyone have any input on how or why to justify the expensive tungsten?" I have no idea as to how to explain the cost of them. I wish I knew... lol I absolutley love them, but they are jsut aso darned expensive.