OP, in case you didn't get it the first few times I said it, I have no problem with bead fishing...it's legal, it's legit, and it's productive as hell...so no worries there. It's just not flyfishing, there's more to it than just using a flyrod to deliver the goods.

Typically it's the hardcore flyfishers, those who refuse to fish in any other way than flyfishing, who react the most terribly when having this discussion...some of them bead fish, and you should hear the contortions they have to go through to justify their technique as flyfishing...I'm surprised they don't all have broken bones and torn ligaments from the twisting and bending!

The hardcore flyfishers who agree with my way of thinking are the most vociferous...they see it as a gross bastardization of 'their' sport...they'd prefer that bead fishermen do it with spinning rods or something so no one confuses the bead fishermen with "flyfishermen"...

After a day of bead fishing, and you've caught a few fish, and someone asks how you got 'em, do you go home and tell people you were flyfishing that day...or bead fishing?

Fish on...

Todd