Sue sent me this yesterday to show me how others are doing their designs on the fish. I see now that these are more like socks or stocking caps and I have been trying to suggest (only suggest!) the coloration of a real fish. I do love how beads can seem like individual scales. For me, the embellishment works as 'heightened awareness' of the fish and not a pouch for carrying it around. Also Sue showed me that these are made from a brand of lures called "Blue Fox" and have a very different shape from Rapala that I am using. Mine have bellies! Someone once told me that all art is self-portrait!
Back on the subject: I did look up the Blue Fox lures and they do offer a kind with a metal loop at the mouth - good for hanging the fish as the person who made these here above did. I also liked the idea of hanging charm from the gill loop - it looks like a spoon or blinker on real fishing lures.
I see my attempts at realism explains why I use bugles for the tails - they look more like the line veins in real fish.

I laid out the bead for a red/pink necklace and discovered I had no focal point. None of the big beads I had mentally planned to use worked out in the reality. So the tray is full of plans in red and pink - loaded and ready to go and nowhere with a map.

Then since I was corresponding with Sue about the fish lures it was easy to get the idea of using one done in these colors. I did the lower one with 11s but I feel they look too big so started a second on with Delicas. It feels better but now I am thinking of using two fish as focal point and am wondeering if having two sizes of beads will stop me or if I will have to make two fish using Delicas. When I get this necklace done, I want to try making the 'stocking pouch' design on the embellishment of another lure as in the photo.