I was at a show over the weekend and one of the tyers was tying tube flies. Looked like something I might want to pursue for a while.
Anyone tying tube flies??? If so, what do I look for or ask for. I would like an intro. kit but they have so many different pieces, I don’t quite know where to start or what to ask for. Which system?
Can’t say if its the best choice out there, but I recently purchased this kit:
http://www.mudhole.com/Fly-Tying/Terra-Vise-Accessories/Tube-Fly-Attachment-Kit
I’ve tied a few patterns on it so far, using the cut and melted plastic Johnson & Johnson version of Q-Tips stem as the tubes. Worked fine.
For $7, its a good way to get your feet wet.
Yep I do and its by far better than having longer shanked hooks. Lose less fish and I also do them on poppers.
As far as vises and rools adapters I went the dedicated vise way. Got the Renzetti and HMH. The HMH is my favorite.
I been converting all my smallmouth, trout and steelhead streamers to tube and hadnt even use a streamer hooks in a long while. Getting ready to sell off them cause tubes are the way to go. Any short hook or circle hooks will do.
OrthoMan,
You can get into tying tub flies without buying a ‘kit’ or a ‘holder’ or any of that stuff if you just want to try it first.
As Dave mentioned, plastic Q-Tip shafts work great for the tubes. They use these typs of shafts on the ‘cheapie’ Q-Tip knock offs, and you can get several hundred of them at the dollar store in a variety of colors.
A piece of stainless steel wire (I use .040 welding wire, easy to get at any welders supply) will make a mount for the tube. Cut a piece about four inches long and bend a short (about 1/8 to 3/16 inch)90 degree angle in one end. Cut the plastic tube at an angle and slide the tube onto the wire until the angled cut engages the bend in the wire. This will keep the tube from rotating on the wire while you tie.
Place the wire horizontally into your regular vise, pushing the end of the plastic tube tight againse the vise jaws before tightening the vise.
You can now tie your fly on the tube. Trim the tube to length AFTER you tie the fly.
Many tube flies use a soft transition tube between the tube the fly is tied on and the hook. This lets you slide the hook eye into the soft tubing and thus holds the hook to the fly. You can buy latex or soft vinyl tubing for this at any aquarium shop and many hardware stores.
As far as actually fishing with the tube flies, I tried them and didn’t like how they moved in the water. I do spend a lot of time messing with fly balance, attitude, and action, and they might work better on flies where this isn’t an issue. On the plus side, being able to use varying hook sizes with any fly is a plus. And in some cases, where it’s legal, having the hook hanging a bit behind the fly helps with hooking mortality when the fish are really eating the flies.
Certainly can’t hurt to try them out and see if they work well for your fishing.
Good Luck,
Buddy
Unless things have changed the white Q tips are not hollow but the colored ones are.
A bicycle spoke works well as a holder.
We tie and use tons of tubes… If you do not like the action of tubes you are failing to 1) weight them in different ways to achieve “nose-down” sinking at pauses 2) stack short sections to build the length you want… and changing the weighted section point 3) insert small floating sections to make the column of tubes bend as it sinks 4) “walk the dog” with them near or on the surface… and I could go on all day…
Bicycle spoke nuts make good sinking sections, fairly cheap if recycled… Coffee stir sticks are our standard tubes.
Some guides here using lots of tubes run fairly heavy leader through the tube and barrel knot a lighter, very short leader to that and tie the hook on there. If the line breaks the tube is usually saved by the barrel knot.
If your hook gets dull on a regular fly it is probably harder to get a good point back on it than it is to replace the hook on a tube (or articulated) fly.
Leeches and flesh flies ar MADE for tubes… 
Working on getting materials set up for an incredible smolt pattern that uses a tube and a Doctor’s office style thermometer cover to make a surface slider style fly… Cannot wait to use it on lake trout when they are smashing smolts…
art
Use cocktail straws for tubes.
Use an allen wrench in your vise to tie with.
Better yet, go to NAPA and ask for brake air line tubing. Works really well but I find myself looking for tiny sized tube like 1/16-1/32 and use cone heads over them. Pop rivets is another weight to but not quite as heavy. Use your imagination its endless when it come to tubes.
Never tied a “tube fly” and never seen it done. Looks quite interesting.
Does anyone know of a online video describing just the basics of tube flies and how they are done?
I use brass tubing from a hobby shop. Cut to length (I use a Dremel tool, but a hacksaw works fine) and flare slightly using a small center punch to each end. Touch up the cut ends with emery cloth. I mount them on a nail that just fits the tube. I put a veryslight bend in the nail and this will sort of wedge the brass tube so it doesn’t spin on the nail. I usually cut my tubes about 1/2" to 1 “long. The brass tubing gives a nice weight to them so it sinks a fairly full tied fly. Use the longer tubes to sink faster or tie a bigger fly. I use 1/8” brass tubing for my steelhead flies.
Here is a link to Eumer tube flies. http://www.eumertube.com/
I was at the Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton where I meet Olli a few years back who’s brother founded the business. He got me started on the micro tube starter kit as I wanted to try tube flies for trout. There is some good information on their website. Be sure to checkout their catalog. What I know I have learned from Ollie and YouTube. I wish I could be of more help, but most of what I know is trial and error.
They are used extensively for salmon flies here. This is a local pattern from the River Brora just 5 mile down the road from me.
One great plus is that when the fish takes the tube rides up the line leaving just the hook. This gives the fish less leverage to use to get away.
Cheers,
A.
