I have tied a number of different tube flies mostly for bass ,brim and crappie.I use Q tips mostly.
I have tied Chernoble ants poppers,muddlers,deer hair heads on tubes for bass streamers,etc..
I use the HMH tube holding device.I have use brass tubes also on flies I want to sink faster.
I find poppers and chernoble ants work really well as just as strike indicators for dropppers.
Another excellent patern as a tube fly are the bobbie flies.