As we get into the full swing of my competitive fly fishing season, it’s almost guaranteed that many flies will be lost, given away or simply misplaced after swapping patterns – So it’s a great time of the year to get the extra patterns tied up along with your current favourites.

Toby at Funky Fly Tying was kind enough to send me down a selection of his tungsten beads – A wonderful selection of bright and vibrant colours, with a decent painted finish. As many of you know many painted beads I’ve used in the past had a tendency to flake away when being tied with, but these have already passed this milestone.

Last winter was the first time I put an anodized bead on a hook – I’ve never really liked the colours available but thought I had to give them a swim – And I’m very glad I did! The Anodized green tungsten beads from funky are ideal for damsel patterns, whilst the pink is great for bloodworm patterns and buzzers.