Bead thoraxes

[Fascist Killer]

Does anyone ever use the gold or copper or green or whatever color bead as the thorax to their nymph and tie the wing-case over it? I saw that this is a popular PT variation on the Grand. Wondering what people's experience with this variation is.

[Nymphmeister]

I remember seeing Dick Talleur do that in a tying class years ago, with a copper bead under a bugskin wingcase on a Pheasnt Tail nymph, tied on a scud hook. I asked him if it really made a difference, and he paused and said that yes he thought it did, esp. when you are fishing over trout that have seen lots of normal PT nymphs.

[Fascist Killer]

Seems like it would be an effective way of introducing the flash and trigger effect of the bead without the scare factor of the naked bead on the head of the nymph. I'd be especially interested to see what one could do with glass to imitate a gas bubble in the case of an nymph getting ready to hatch.