Richard, Thanks for your $0.02 message yesterday regarding fly shop vs. craft shop beads ;-)
I spent some time last night using my daughter's 20x stereoscope to examine and compare glass beads from several sources. At the risk of not getting any change back from a nickel, here's what I found: The transparent red and chrome 3mm beads for the Olive Willy pattern I bought earlier from both Swedes and Kaufmans and those I bought yesterday from Beads & Beyond were identical. Variations in hole size and overall size and shape were minute. I had no trouble consistently slipping beads from all 3 sources onto streamer hooks up to size 2 (with barb crimped). But I did find some size and shape mutations among the small (2mm) seed beads I bought earlier from Ben Franklin and Michaels. I would estimate overall size and hole size in seed beads fluctuated by as much as 10-15% from bead to bead. That explains why some seed beads simply won't fit on the medium-sized hooks (size 12 or 14) scud hooks I use for various chronie patterns. I just set aside those smaller mutant beads to use on smaller hook sizes. It's certainly more convenient to buy all one's tying materials from a local fly shop. It's just that not all the materials one needs for some patterns are available only at fly shops. The iridescent clear and milky white and jet black 3mm beads I bought yesterday simply aren't available in any fly shop or catalog I've seen. Yet. Kent Lufkin >I've purchased beads from both bead shops and from the fly shops, and >although I saved money buying from the bead shops, the beads usually aren't >quite the same as those you buy from the shops. The bead shop beads usually >are less consistent with their hole diameters (kinda important to getting >around hook bends and to keep the bead from sliding over the hook eye), the >overall sizing is less consistent, and the edges (rounded, squared, etc.) >are less consistent. > >I've bought bead shop beads that work OK, and I underscore the OK, but I've >also later bought beads from the fly shop because the bead shop beads >weren't working out well. Time wasted and hassled to save a couple of >bucks, which seems to happen a lot each time I try to save a dime buying an >alternative, and usually ending up inferior, product to what is being sold >at the fly shops. > >To me, it's worth it to me to buy the fly shop beads. They have already >gone through the exercise of finding the right beads (color, size, and >consistency) that work for the intended patterns, saving me the time and >hassle of having to go through it. And, the small package of beads bought >from the fly shop still will last a long time. I'd rather be tying and >fishing (or typing responses to waflyfishers.com!) than scouring the bead >shop. > >Just my $0.02 (since we're talking about saving dinero), > >Richard > >P.S. I don't work at a fly shop, and have no affiliations with the tackle >business. > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Kent Lufkin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2002 1:39 PM >Subject: Glass bead source > > >> An increasing number of subsurface fly patterns successfully >> incorporate glass beads as a part of their design. Tiny (2.0mm) >> 'seed' beads for small chironomid patterns like Snow Cones and Red >> Devils are readily available in a variety of colors at craft stores >> like Ben Franklin or Michael's. But larger size beads such as the >> 3.0mm deep red and chrome bead used in the Olive Willy nymph are much >> more difficult to find. >> >> I've just returned from a bead shop in old Bellevue called Beads & >> Beyond at 25 102nd Ave NE. They have an enormous selection of beads >> in literally hundreds of different hues and sizes. >> >> But the best part is the price. While Eastside fly shops are charging >> up to $3.00 for 25 of the red Olive Willy beads (no offense to >> Dennis, Al or Hugh) , the exact same beads are available at Beads & >> Beyond for $1.25 for a 3" x 1/2" tube of perhaps 200. I ended up > > buying 6 tubes of various colors and sizes for just over $8.00. > > > > Kent Lufkin > > > >
