Tungsten beads, worth it?

[LT]

Tungsten appears to be quite a bit denser than other beads. If the goal is to get a nymph on the bottom as quickly as possable, tungsten seems to make sense. It's tough to pay close to four bucks for a bag of ten. Do you feel they make your nymph's more productive? Are they worth the price? Anyone buy them in bulk? Thanks, Ryan

[mdjm66]

Yes, they are expensive, do they work? Well, from my limited experience, and from all of my buddies comments, Tungsten is the way to go if you want to get it deep and quick.

Still looking for bulk ones, if you do find some, let us know!


Dean

[Kent Lufkin]

No doubt about it, tungsten's the densest material available used to weight a fly. But some people (including myself) are finding that fish that see a lot of pressure appear to be learning to avoid possible food sources with bright, shiny beads for heads, regardless of what material the beads are made from. If you plan on fishing water that sees a lot of fishermen, you might consider tying patterns that use less-dense but more concealable lead wire wrapped around the shank for the weight and use a thread head instead.

K

[John Hicks]

No doubt about it, tungsten's the densest material available used to weight a fly. But some people (including myself) are finding that fish that see a lot of pressure appear to be learning to avoid possible food sources with bright, shiny beads for heads, regardless of what material the beads are made from. If you plan on fishing water that sees a lot of fishermen, you might consider tying patterns that use less-dense but more concealable lead wire wrapped around the shank for the weight and use a thread head instead.

K

Kent has it right. another option is to use black tungston bead heads. I use tungston exclusively for my tying needs. (kent I used brass for the swap because they look nice and are effective on stockers)

[troutpocket]

When I have $$, I use black tung heads on everything. It really makes a difference getting nymphs and buggers down. When i can't afford it, brass beads and splitshot.

Rod

[PETI]

Best pricing I've found, but no personal experience yet.
http://www.canadianllama.com/
If you use them give us a report.

Peter

[Kent Lufkin]

. . . (kent I used brass for the swap because they look nice and are effective on stockers)

Ouch!

A couple years ago, a friend was able to score tungsten beads in bulk. Depending on size and in quantities of several hundred in each size, they ranged from about 8¢ to 12¢ each, a considerable savings off the price at your local fly shop.

K

[Tim Cottage]

Except for the Olive Willy, which uses a red bead head, I am also a non bead head tyer. Choosing to use a wire underbody instead. To me a bead headed fly is not far, or far enough, removed from a propeller head fly. They just look goofy.

But to address the issue of creating a fast sinking fly, tungsten certainly falls into the category of diminishing returns. Yes, it is the densest material available, but just how fast does it have to get there? Will it catch more fish most of the time. I doubt it.

Using weight on your leader allows your fly to move in the water while still taking it down quickly. While a weighted fly has little or no movement other than straight vertical.

TC

[flybill]

I just picked up a small assortment of Tungsten beads on a sale rack at Orvis (60% off). I haven't used them much, but thought I would give it a try.

The link that was posted earlier seems like a good price.

Bill

[Kent Lufkin]

Best pricing I've found, but no personal experience yet.
http://www.canadianllama.com/
If you use them give us a report.

The slotted ones are what my friend ordered in bulk. Their design allows for a much smaller hole which means the bead doesn't wiggle around on the shank or cover up a part of the eye.

FYI, here are the specific gravity (s.g.) and pounds per cubic inch (#/in2) of brass, lead and tungsten.

Brass
s.g. = 7.4 to 8.9 (varies depending on the proportion of component metals)
#/in2 = .303 to .314

Lead
s.g. = 11.3
#/in2 = .41

Tungsten
s.g. = 19.3
#/in2 = .697

Simply put, tungsten is more than twice as heavy as brass and more than half again as heavy as lead.

K

[Davy]

it's funny I guess; that I have no issues with wrapping a $15.00 feather or somtimes 12 or 13 of them on a fancie $20.00 dollar hook. Or a couple of $3.00 feathers on a 2 dollar steelhead hook, but when it comes to trout flies it's real difficult to put on .40 just for the beadhead.

That said, nuthin like them for deep water chironimids and such. But I use very few of them anymore. I just add lead on the leader, as long as it's water where you don't get thrown in jail for doing so on.

[Wayne Kohan]

I hate lead on the leader, it never seems to stay put. I like heavy flies like a copper john to get the flies into the zone, and then I like to tie a dropper that is unweighted off of it. It's like using a sinker that still catches fish. The problem with weighting some flies is that it changes the profile of the body so that my nymphs begin to look like the rest of us Americans - overwieght!

Wayne

[tythetier]

I use the tungsten alot. It does get your bug down quick.

In situations like Kent was talking about, I will still use bead heads if needed, but I will use glass. I have one style that is silver in color like the tungsten, but if you hit it with the right light it becomes translucent. This will give the air bubble look while adding a little bit of weight.

Shoot, Kent might fish waters where the fish swim around with a hatch chart with pictures of the real thing and what our imitations look like. Those slimy turds shure can be smart some times. ;)


Later,

Ty

[Swandazi]

Orvis sells tungsten beads for about :rolleyes: 14$:rolleyes: -:rolleyes: 18$:rolleyes: per 25 depending on their size

[Minx]

I use mostly black coneheads on my wooly buggers and skulpins and for the ultimate in castability, a few wraps of lead wire too. Makes for interesting times in the air, but heads for the bottom REAL quick in the fastest of water. What I don't do with tungsten is discuss the price with the "spousal unit"....ouch :) chuck

[e_pofahl]

I just started learning how to tie flies and started with some easy patterns like chironimids.

I found a pack of 20 black tungsten beads for $4.50 at Sportsman's Warehouse. I spray painted them white to use for Ice Cream Cones.

[g_smolt]

I use tungsten cones for string leeches...nothin' makes the big flies move better than tung, and nothing "kills" the action of a leech more than lead pinched on the leader in front of a weighted fly.

For micro-uses, like nymphs and such, I don't know if there would be enough of a difference to justify the cost of tung.

What the heck, give it a go. Half the fun of the flyfishing experience is goin' "gear queer" over the latest thing on the market...:rolleyes:

Mark

[papafsh]

If I were trying to get a little ol' nymph down, say, 50 feet or so, tung might be a critical factor. Most of the rivers I fish usually run 2 to 8 ft deep so brass, lead, or sink tip lines work well enough. I'd spend $15 bucks on a NY Strip Steak long before I would spend that much on 25 beads from Orvis:beathead:

But as always, to each his own :beer2:

LB

[bigtj]

Yes. Beadheads with tungsten beads work better for me. Way better.

-John