Beads, Eyes & Dumbells!
Your source for flyfishing and flycraft resources since 1975.
- Nymph Beads
- Tungsten Beads
- Hour Glass Eyes
- Coneheads
- Lead Eyes
- Imitation Jungle Cock Eyes
- Stick-on Eyes
- Stick-on Prismatic Eyes
- Bead Chain
- Audible Eyes
For making "Bead Head Nymphs." Metal bead with single hole through it which is larger on one side than the other. When attaching, put the 'small' end on first then push the bead around the bend to the eye. Some please put at least a few turns of lead behind the bead and then push it into the larger side of the hole. This method holds the bead in place and, of course, more heavily weights the fly.
These brass beads come in a variety of colors. Gold is the most commonly used, but but I'm going to go out on a limb and say copper is often more effective according to some who've studied this issue. Give it a try if you don't already. Use in on some flies with matching copper wire for ribbing. Also available are silver and black, as well as some anodized with green, brown and other colors.
You'll want to make sure you have the correct size to fit the hook you're using. The chart below is a good guide.
| Size | Hook Size |
| XXsmall (2/32) | 20, 22 |
| Xsmall (3/32) | 16, 18 |
| Small (4/32) | 14, 16 |
| Med (5/32) | 10, 12 |
| Large (6/32) | 6, 8 |
Important Tip: If a fly recipe calls for a 'standard' nymph hook and you want to add a bead to the pattern, try a 1X nymph hook to give you a bit more room. This will make it a bit easier for beginners and I use it for many of my nymph patterns
These are gaining in popularity. They're twice as heavy as brass and even a bit heavier than lead. But before you run out to replace all your brass beads, know that there are some drawbacks. For instance, a 'heavier' fly is not necessarily a 'better' fly. Some nymphs may look more natural moving in the current without the extra weight, which sometimes means extra drag on the tippet and leader. Also, they're more expensive to buy. But if you need the extra weight to get down in fast moving water or want to get to the bottom more quickly, these can be a terrific plus.
I'll repeat the same chart for tungsten as we used for brass beads to give you general guideline for sizing.
| Size | Hook Size |
| XXsmall (2/32) | 20, 22 |
| Xsmall (3/32) | 16, 18 |
| Small (4/32) | 14, 16 |
| Med (5/32) | 10, 12 |
| Large (6/32) | 6, 8 |
As with the brass beads, we have a variety of colors, with gold being by far the most popular. Also available are "Nymph-Head" tungsten beads which have protrusions on each side of the head, ostensibly to suggest an eye. The 'eye' can be painted for a more realistic look or just left alone. These are fun to use and add a bit of extra weight as well, if that is important to you. These are available in the conventional colors as well as green, orange, red, blue . . . you get the point.
There are also beads made of glass and other materials which are available in just about every color imaginable. Don't be shy about trying these out and inventing new fly patterns of your own.
These can be of lead or machined brass. These eyes are perfectly symmetrical and 
center themselves on the hook. There are some really cool ones with glass or plastic 'sparkle eyes' on each end. These are realistic and fun to use and worth a try and look like the photo on the left.
| Size | Hook Size |
| Med | 4 - 6 |
| Large | 1/0 - 2 |
| X-large | 1/0 & Larger |
This is a tapered weight in the shape of a cone. Very popular on wooly buggers and similar streamers. Colors are the standard fare of gold, silver and black (nickel).
| Size | Hook Size |
| Xsmall (5/32) | 12 - 14 |
| Small (3/16) | 8 - 10 |
| Medium (7/32) | 4 - 6 |
| Large (1/4) | 2 & Larger |
Dumb-bell shaped plain lead eyes that may be used as is or painted which are natural weights desired for fast sinking flies.
| Size | Diameter (32nd) | Weight (oz) |
| Mini | 4 | .01 |
| XS | 5 | .02 |
| S | 6 | .03 |
| M | 7 | .04 |
| L | 8 | .06 |
| XL | 9 | .10 |
Laser scanned images of actual jungle cock eyes. An inexpensive alternative to the real
thing and very real looking. These are actually very popular. You can buy these as laser scanned (right) images of actual jungle cock eyes or of the hand-painted variety (left).
| Size | Hook |
| Small | 10 - 12 |
| Medium | 6 - 8 |
| Large | 2 - 4 |
Prepunched, peel and stick eyes. Can be used as is or applied to fly, then covered with epoxy to give a real fish eye appearance. Available in white with black pupils and yellow with black pupils
Prepunched, peel and stick eyes. Black pupil with prismatic backgrounds in silver, gold or red.
Very popular, lighter in weight than hour glass eyes, realistic and easy to use. Available in gold and silver
These are the kind of plastic eyes you'd find on a child's doll where the pupils move when shaken. Fun to use and will make interesting baitfish imitations and attractor patterns.