Francesco Palu

[DNicolson]

I have been browsing some of the backwaters of my site
(my new reading glasses have helped) and I found this.

I don't normally agree with using beads on spiders, but I went
through a phase of beaded nymphs a while back,
this was from an excellent book on Sedges/Caddis patterns.
The Anglers Sedge. - 1989 by Taff Price

[GlassJet]

Hi Donald,
Coming up to grayling time, so my mind turning to beading the flies and getting them down there. I've seen a few spiders (flymphs?) lately where the bead is tied in behind the hackle - ie more as a thorax, which I thought I'd give a try. You tried that?

Andrew.

[DNicolson]

Yes Andrew I have, and I have been trying to find some pix,
but no luck, I am sure I had some.
They were ok but I felt that the bead detracted from the action of
the hackle on the spider. I think some bead head nymphs or glass bead
bodied pupae would be better, or go for Sawyers nymphs or his Killer Bug.
http://donaldnicolson.webplus.net/page6.html
http://donaldnicolson.webplus.net/page12.html
http://donaldnicolson.webplus.net/page55.html
http://donaldnicolson.webplus.net/page39.html

There will be screams of sacrelidge with those first three pages,
but to make up for it the last page a good few pages with softhackles

[skunkaroo]

I can't speak to it's effectiveness on grayling, but this works if you're interested in adding beads:

Dropshot

...and here's a step by step:

Beaded Soft Hackle

Aaron

[DNicolson]

That was great stuff Aaron, it was all posted when I was out of commission.
I'm really glad to read it all.
Well Andrew there is the answer, I shall have to rethink my conclusions on the
thorax bead.

[GlassJet]

Yes Donald,

Cheers Aaron, lovely flies, will be giving that technique a go. No idea whether it matters two hoots to the fish, but the bead in the thorax region makes more sense to me, in terms of being suggestive of a natural...

Andrew.

[skunkaroo]

Happy to help. A black bead might be more suggestive of a natural thorax, but a hot fluorescent pink one would probably slay grayling in coloured water... Whoops! Did I just say that? Too much competition fishing and tying for me I think

Aaron