A small bead is placed 18 inches up the leader, then pegged with a toothpick to secure it in that location. Theoretically, when a fish takes the bead, the peg becomes dislodged and the bead slides down the leader allowing the hook to find purchase near the mouth on the outside. More accurately, the bead remains in the fish's mouth and the line is drawn through the bead - either intentionally or by the current drag on the line. This prevents lip and throat injuries. The pegging of beads is not an ingenious or unknown practice, and the use of such is specifically addressed in the Alaska fishing regulations, and strictly prohibited in the context of this fish.
Anglers attempt to run the line through a fish's mouth, eventually drawing the hook to flesh.
Feeding fish are experts in their domain. They can make the determination between a natural egg and a hard piece of plastic the moment they put it in their mouth, and many times the artificial will be spit out before the angler is even aware he has had a strike. If a fish takes a pegged bead, even briefly, it will have difficulty spitting the bead, but more specifically the line . Outfitters and guides would have us believe their practice reduces injury and is in the best interest of the fish. This rationale is highly questionable and misleading.