Tube flies

[cdpaul]

I want to try tying some tube flies for winter steelhead but dont have the tools. How could one go about making a tube fly tool for cheap, and what would i need to make it. What would i use for tubes? Thanks.

[Cold]

A buddy of mine who does the tube thing says you can use Q-tips. Cut the ends off of it and tie em up.

Other than that, I'm not much help. they just seem gimmicky to me.

[FishnDave]

I think you can use straws, too? Just a guess...I recently got a bunch of used fly-tying materials, and there was a bunch of straws of various sizes in with all the other materials...and I can't think what else anyone would use the straws for?
Obviously a thicker-walled straw, like a coctail stirring-straw, might be your best bet if you go that route.

[cdpaul]

Thanks. I use different sized straws for hackle gaurds. I have heard about the hollow q tips but i havent seen them in the store for a while, so i will have to look a little harder.

[jeffro]

cdpaul If your gonna be gettin into tying tube flies you can get the whole kit for really cheap,like $10.00 or less on ebay.....
Just google and do some research and you'll be surprised how cheap they are.

[Eric-WD]

its the cheep brand not q-tip brand the cheep ones are made of plastic tubes, try the dollar store or wall mart. I have been told a bike spoke makes a good holder to tie on but I havent tried it. I was thinking I should try tying some.

Eric

[Bass_Bug]

cdpaul,
Here are a couple of threads we had on tube tying last spring. There's some good information in these.
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...-tube-fly-vise
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...900-Tube-Flies

When I was looking into this at the time I found this Eumer kit for $50.
http://www.madriveroutfitters.com/pc...arter-kit.aspx
A tube adapter for the vise and various tubes and cone heads to make over 60 flies.

Check out the various products to put some of these things in perspective.
http://www.madriveroutfitters.com/c-...cessories.aspx

I don't think you can go wrong with this adapter, 3 mandrels and 2 tapered pins for $20. 5 spokes from a bike shop will cost nearly half of that. And that's assuming your vise will hold the spokes securely and inline so you can tie. Some vises will do that some will not.
http://www.madriveroutfitters.com/pc...y-adapter.aspx

I bought a couple pieces of brass rod from Ace ($4 something total) before I saw this kit.

I guess the bottom line is, how much do you want to spend. That's something you have to decide.

[Extremely Low Budget FF]

I use a piece of piano wire from a hobby store for the mandril. Its the sort of thing that the radio control modelers use. I cut a piece about three inches long. DO NOT try cutting it with a cutting pliers because it will chip the blade. Instead notch it with a file and snap it (Be sure to wear safety goggles). At the end of the wire, I wrap a thread nub and glue it with head cement to keep the tube on the mandril. I then put it in an old drill chuck that I mounted on a stand or you could even put it in a working hand drill. I use dollar store "q tips" to tie on. I have them in white, purple, green and blue.

It is that simple!

If you have questions just ask.

Ed

[CoachBob]

use a small allen wrench in your vise to hold the tube.
use a cocktail straw (there are two sizes and they are free at your local bar) for the tube

[Buddy Sanders]

For an extremely simple and inexpensive 'tube fly tying holder/adaptor' that will work in the vise you already have:

Find a piece of stainless steel wire (about .040 to .045). An old spinnerbait will have this on it, you can buy the stuff in 3' lengths at most welders supply shops, or use any straight wire you may have laying around. You can make a 'mandrel' that will hold your tube secure from just this piece of wire. The only 'requirement' is that the tube fit over the wire and it's rigid enough that you don't bend it while tying the fly.

Cut the wire to about 6 inches and bend a 90 degree angle in the middle of it. The long end should be around 2 1/2 to 3 inches (depends on the length of tube you want to tie on). Cut the short end to around 1/4 inch. It's nice but not critical to smooth off the cut ends with a dremel or file. This keeps the mandrel from snagging thread or cuting fingers and things like that.

Use the cheapie 'Q-Tips' from the dollar store for the tubes. Cut them at an angle at one end: /

Slide the tube onto the wire with the angle end of the tube towards the 90 degree bend.

Twist the tube until the angle locks into the bend of the mandrel. This way the tube won't twist on the mandrel as you tie the fly.

Place the other end of the mandrel into your vise. Slide the mandrel back through the vise jaw until the tube is tight against the edge of the jaws and lock the vise onto the mandrel. Now the tube can't slide or twist.

Tie the fly on the portion of the tube CLOSE to the vise. Once you have the fly tied, trim the tube as close to the head of the fly as you like. You can slide on and glue into place a cone head or bead before trimming if you want. After some experience, you'll learn how long to cut the tube to hold the size fly you want to tie with little waste (each of them chaepie Q-tips costs around 1/4 cent, don't want to waste any of that).

Simple and works.

Plus, of course, it's cheap and doesn't require any fancy adapters or a 'special' vise or jaws, etc..

Before I abandoned the whole tube fly concept, I tied hundreds of these things on a rig like this.

Good Luck!

Buddy