Are Gold Beads Out or Is it just all in our heads?

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Gold Beads...What's your take, good or bad? Photo By: Louis Cahill

When I first started guiding for trout it seemed like every nymph in the fly bin had a gold bead on it. Everyone caught fish on them and you didn’t hear of anyone back then shying away from using them. So why do I find myself so reluctant to use them on the water these days? For some reason they don’t seem to work as good for me anymore. Maybe the trout have caught on from everybody using them, or it’s worked its way into their DNA as being a negative trait. More than likely it’s just the fact that there’s so many different colored bead options available to fly fishermen nowadays. Whatever it is, I’ve got a serious confidence issue with gold beads that keep them staying high and dry in my fly box.

What’s your take on gold beads?

Kent Klewein
Gink & Gasoline
www.ginkandgasoline.com
hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
 
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14 thoughts on “Are Gold Beads Out or Is it just all in our heads?

  1. That row there looks like a good steelhead fly. Do yourself a favor and make some room in your box for the new and improved by removing them and sending them to me at: 2837 Algonqu… Wait, mom said never to give my address to nymph fishermen…

  2. I hear ya on this one. A few patterns still rock for me with the shiny gold (Copper John) but I’ve slowly shifted to natural brass or silver. I love the cheap brass beads that some shops carry that already have the shine knocked off.

  3. Never thought of this but I think you are right. Seldom my gold beaded nymphs outfish the copper beaded. I think the colour I like the most is the Black nickel. What’s your favorite?

  4. I still have a good number of gold beads. However, copper and black (caddis) seem to fill the majority of my boxes, followed by a few rows of hot orange and rainbow beads for special occasions.

    • I do carry a marker with me mainly on DH streams, after seeing 2000 gold bead anythings switching the color of the bead has made the difference several times. Black has seemed to work well for me.

  5. I still use the bright gold beads but mostly in the higher and dirtier water periods with the bigger bugs (stones, caddis, drakes). It seems as the summer goes on, the water drops and clears, the bugs get smaller and I have more success with a less shiny bead such as black or nickel.

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