Hot spots for nymph

[Lucian.Vasies 0]

There are rivers where fishing with nymphs is common. In fact is so popular that you will see very rare a dry fly fisherman. Hot spots are super effective but I noticed that orange and red are not so good like was 5-6 years ago. Also gold tungsten beads are not effective like silver or copper. Even more, on rivers with high fishing pressure black nickel or black beads work better.

For a year ago I started to avoid orange and red as hot spots and I replaced them with mylar or just simple white dubb on some flies. I was very pleased with these colors so here are 2 trout nymphs that work for me very well:

[RickZieger 0]

Very nice looking.

For the warmwater fishing I do I am more into copper and black bead heads as they work better for me.

 

Rick

[flytire 0]

hot spots have been around as long as tinsel has been used to tie flies

[Charlie P. (NY) 0]

Very nice looking.

For the warmwater fishing I do I am more into copper and black bead heads as they work better for me.

 

Rick

 

I agree. I am finding more luck with black or copper than the brighter gold beads.

[DarrellP 0]

So is are the biots on a Prince Nymph a form of hot spot? We tie ourselves in knots (pardon the pun) trying to figure out why a fish eats a fly or lure.

[Flicted 0]

I dont think its as much that orange and red are no longer sexy. But in recent years, Tinsel is so much more than silver or gold. Color and flash are surely better than color or flash.

[Crackaig 0]

Very nicely done. I do like the UV ribbing on them.

You seem to be suggesting that the trout have seen so many bright coloured beads and red / orange hot spots that they are turned off by them. Now I'm, if being truthful by no small measure, something of a cynic. The first time I heard of a collar hot spot behind a bead it was being used as an excuse for lack of tying ability. The person who said it was not able to tie a bead headed fly without a large collar of thread behind the bead, Therefore, he changed the colour of thread and called it a hot spot. It set my cynicism clanging. (I know he couldn't tie a bead head without the collar because I asked him to. He, rather clumsily avoided the issue.) I hasten to add that your tying, Lucian, shows no such lack of ability, those flies are, to use a British expression "bloody brilliant", without any hint of cynicism.
What I am getting at is that I suspect that the idea of a secondary "hot spot" (the one created by the bead being the first) came about, at least, partially by the inability of many to tie flies differently.

Some time ago I, as you appear to have here, came up with an idea to make my bead headed flies significantly different. I partially cover the bead. The logic behind this is the same logic that means emergency vehicles have flashing, not constant, lights on them. Beads are almost spherical. We usually fish under a point source of light; the sun. If you shine a point source of light at a sphere the reflection remains constant no matter how you turn the sphere. By tying a band of, usually, pheasant tail fibres over the bead the reflection from the bead flashes on and off as it tumbles.

To make the cover for your bead start the thread and tie in the pheasant tail forward of the eye. Whip finish and trim the thread. Seat the bead on the turns of thread holding the pheasant tail to the hook. Restart the thread behind the bead. Draw the pheasant tail over the bead and tie down. Then tie the rest of the fly however you like.

 

This is just an idea I thought you might like to try. If you do I would like to hear if you find any difference in performance. I did but I can't quantify it.

Cheers,

C.

[Chris_NH 0]

Put a hotspot or don't... matters little to the fish. What's infinitely more important is the size/profile of the fly and the way it's fished.

 

What's indisputable is that flies with hotspots sell way faster than flies without.