Rainbow Bead Flies

By Mike Hogue

Morris Kashuba is a tyer from Peckville, PA and has been tying and selling flies for the better part of 30 years. One of his specialities is the Rainbow Bead Fly. Morris's fly is used on many of the Lake Ontario tribs of upstate New York and it has caught many rainbows, lake trout, steelhead, large browns and lots of salmon. If you poke around shops in and around any of the upstate area you are bound to find many of his flies for sale since Morris makes several thousand of these to sell each year.

The key factor in making this fly is the rainbow bead. This is a plastic bead which has a multi-color rainbow coating to it. Morris feels this is mostly an egg type pattern and at certain times of the year, hatching eggs will become this unusual black color. Another key material in this fly is that magic material Estaz which is used as a collar in this fly. The balance of the fly is generally wool or chenille and the fly is always tyed using a scud hook. Most are the same sizes and only the colors are changed. Either a contrast of say orange and yellow or perhaps purple and blue. In any case the colors are mixed to make the fly more visable. Since the fly has a plastic bead it floats off the bottom and can be drifted easily with shot or a sink tip line in either a swing or down and across presentation.

You can buy Morris's flies by contacting him directly at 570-489-9525. Since Morris is retired likes to fish you find him at his lake home between May 1 and November 20 at: 315-343-2130. If you want you contact him please respect his time and contact him between 8-6pm EST. I will stock some of the patterns during the fall salmon season and I should also have a supply of them at some of the winter fly fishing shows.

Patterns

These are all tied the same way. Begin by sliding the bead up the hook. Tie in the body material and wrap up leaving the upper 1/3 of the hook open. Tie off wool/chenille, tie in Estaz, wrap forward and tie off, that is about it. Very simple, unique design. The hook used below ( the 80200BR Mustad hook is no longer made. You can use the new Mustad C49S Signature hook or a Targus 2487, all the flies are tied on a size 10 hook. )

Oyster Shell:

Hook: Size 10 Heavy Wire Scud Hook