Beads

JT · Senior Member

Beads

rich · Veteran Member

I used them with baitcasting gear for salmon and steelhead, when I tried the same rig on my fly rod, I could not cast it. I have caught (and released

) many big fish with this technique up on the American though.

Matt · Veteran Member

I am not sure if this applies to Putah, since I found this on the report for the Lower Sac, but according to The Fly Shop's website:

[F]ishing a bare hook is illegal in the state of California. If you, or your guide, is pegging beads above a bare hook, you're breaking the law, and snagging fish rather than fair-hooking them.

So you might want to check into it before you try this technique. I know that the technique is sometimes used in Alaska and is frowned upon by many.

Matt · Veteran Member

So this got me thinking ... and being bored at work helped ... I think that this technique might not meet the state's definition of "angling" ... "to take a fish by hook and line ... in such a manner that fish voluntarily takes the bait or lure in its mouth" Sec. 1.05

I dont work for Fish and Game. So, I dont know for sure if this technique you described is legal. I am just a guy who likes to fly fish and is bored at work. Maybe someone more knowledgeable will chime in.

JT · Senior Member

I believe in Alaska they tie salmon-colored rabbit fur to the hook. This hides the hook and makes it legal.

Matt · Veteran Member

I dont mean to plug another site, but I thought this might be helpful. A while a back a similar thread was posted on the NorCal Fly Fishing board.

http://www.ncffb.org/index.cgi?frames=n;read=350469

-- Edited by Matt at 16:03, 2006-10-02

shon42073 · Senior Member

i know this is an old topic but ill give ya all my opinion, when you fish an egg or bead up off the hook you will never have a fish swallow it, like happens with eggs and beads that are directly on the hook, you will 99% of the time hook the fish on the outer part of its mouth, it may be technically illegal but fish and game dosent always know whats best. after all better foul hooked then have a fish ingest the hook, thats just common sense, after all i assume your gonna release your catch anyways.

JT · Senior Member

You just have to be careful how far up the line you put the bead from the hook. If the hook and bead are too far apart, you could hook the fish in the face, possibly in the eye. There seem to be benefits and disadvantages to this method, but I think more research is needed to come up with a conclusion on this topic.