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moucheur2003

Getting beads onto hooks

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So last night I was trying to tie up some beadhead nymphs using 5/64" beads on #18 curved scud hooks, and my big fingers simply could not manage the tiny beads and hooks. I dropped 3 beads on the floor before I finally managed to thread the 4th one onto the hook.

 

Is there a simple, easy method for putting small beads on small hooks?

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I use a small plate (saucer). I place the beads in the saucer and with a pair of hackle pliers on the hook, I rotate the hook until it aligns with the hole in the bead.

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Put hook in vise upside down.pick up bead with forceps & slip on.Some times will need to crip barb a little.Glass & rubber beads wet finger tip & press bead on tip then onto hook.

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I lay the bead in the palm of me left hand and use my right to get the hook point in. Yes sometimes the barbs need a tiny pinch, sometimes a little pressure gets them past. Usually no problem tho. If I try and hold the bead its usually too small to pinch and see, and not rotate. If I grab it with something I've launched them

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Thanks to all for the suggetions. I tried putting the bead in my left palm as Dubs does, and holding the hook in an electrical clip as shown in the Tightlines video that Fin-ite shared, and that seems to work pretty well for me. I was 4 for 4 tonight with no lost beads.

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I lay the bead in the palm of me left hand and use my right to get the hook point in.

 

This works very well.

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Important thing to note.

 

...trying to tie up some beadhead nymphs...

 

That is production tying. Ak Best defined production tying as when you are tying more than one of a pattern. In production tying it is more efficient to get any preparation steps done first before you start the actual tying. That would include putting all the beads on all the hooks you are going to use.

 

There are special tweezers for handling beads, called Bead Nabbers. They are blunt point tweezers that have a recess inside the tips for handling beads.

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These work great with larger beads. Smaller beads sit inside the recesses and the tweezers close around them, preventing you from getting the hook through the bead.

 

For the smaller beads I simply tip the required number of beads onto a small plate, manipulate them with tweezers so they are sat on their recessed hole, and, using tweezers to handle the hooks, pick the beads up with the points of the hook. You may find probe clips better to handle the hooks as in the video.

 

If you use a magnet on a stick I would have serious doubts about your beads. Usually beads are made from brass, or tungsten. Neither of which are magnetic. If you are picking beads up with a magnet then what is mixed in with the material that is making them magnetic? It must be steel or nickel. If you can pick either up with a magnet then you have lower quality alloy beads. High quality tungsten or brass beads, can not be picked up with a magnet. Tungsten steel beads which are magnetic will be significantly lighter than pure tungsten. If you have magnetic brass it will probably be nickel that is mixed in. This will make them an even greater proportion lighter.

Cheers,

C.

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