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Tube fly questions

2K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  Riverborn75 
#1 ·
Hey all.
Have not put much energy into learning about or tying tube flies yet. Just wondering what people would describe as the advantage of tube flies over conventional flies. Also, I have always assumed that a tube fly would have to be tied in the round, as there would be no way to ensure that the fly would ride "right" side up when fished. Clearly I must be mistaken as most of the pics I see posted here of tube flies have distinct profiles that would look funny upside down or sideways. how does this work?

thanks

Jim
 
#3 ·
3 main advantages of tube flies:

1. Huge variety of tube materials & lengths can be used: plastics (eg. nylon, polythene, polypropylene, PVC), metals (aluminium, copper, brass, steel, tungsten, other white metals). Metal tubes need to be lined with a smaller plastic liner tube to prevent leader chaffing on the edge of the metal tube ends (however well those tube ends are polished!) The metal tubes are thus 'weighted' according to what density of metal is used for the purpose of the tube fly design & fishing purpose.

2. You can change out the hook is that hook becomes blunted or damaged/corroded, and allows for hook size change without tube change

3. The tube fly is designed, usually, to seperate from the hook when you hook a fish, so the tube runs up the leader & out of the way, and thus you only have leverage from the hook length, not the overally tube fly length.

Mike
 
#4 ·
One more...

Tube flies can be stored and carried in zip-seal (Zip-lok) baggies if desired, increasing the selection you can have on the water without bulking your bag or vest out with boxes. You can, of course, purchase boxes made to house tubes; I've had no problems with bags, so far, and therefore don't see the need to use a box. Hooks are carried in their own container; a small compartmentalized container can hold a variety of singles, doubles, and trebles in various sizes as conditions and/or preferences dictate. Most patterns that are tied on traditional hooks can be tied on a tube, so there are really few limitations that I can think of. If you purchase tubing in "bulk" sections, it can be cut down into the desired lengths for what can amount to a significant savings relative to tying on standard hooks, which can be a consideration for some (particularly if you're fishing water with a lot of potential snags). I tie on both tubes and hooks, but tend to fish baitfish patterns >90% of the time and feel that these are better done on tubes than on hooks because it's so much easier to control position in the water column with the same tube just by moving the position of the hook, or changing the hook, itself. I fish traditional patterns when in the mood to do so, and enjoy them all.

In terms of the fly remaining in the proper orientation, wing length can have a lot to do with it, as can hook orientation (depends on the hooks being used). You can also add mass to the bottom of a tube by lashing a "weight" to it (I do this on some tubes, using the aluminum nail that is pulled from the rivets I tie on); I do this on plastic tubes that are tied with a wing and belly of equal length (think double bunny zonker). There are a number of great tube tying resources on the web; many can be found by doing a search here.
 
#6 ·
Proper Tube Orientation

Puffin,

Good tip to lash a bottom weight parallel to the tube, to properly orient the tube if weighted barbells are not used. I prefer an upturned hook 99% of the time on my tube flies, so a bottom weight on the tube, parallel to the tube, to orient the tube, will help the hook fish upright. I like using plastic, metal, beads and cones more than metal, lead barbells. So I'll lash different diameter and length lead wire to the bottom of the tube, parallel to the tube, to consistently orient the tube. Weighting the tube this way allows for a more exact amount of weight that is wanted on a specific tube. The lead wire weight tied to the bottom, parallel to the tube will make sure the hook fishes upright, which is usually mounted into some wiggle junction tube.

I'll normally use plastic micro tube most of the time and very rarely metal tubes because the extra weight for the fly is the bottom lashed, parallel lead wire and sometimes a metal bead or cone. Less weight is needed to orient a plastic tube versus a metal tube, because of the extra weight of the metal tube.

The lead wire can be doubled or tripled in shorter lengths than the tube length being used, to achieve a front or middle section weight area only, but still orient the tube.

Another way to help the hook fish upright and help orient the tube, is to use a standard up eye Octopus type hook mounted into some junction tubing with the hook upright. The Octopus hook will hang at a slight downward angle from the back of the junction tubing, giving it a similar bend back hook style, where the hook fishes upright with little to no extra weight needed to do so.

Using together, an upturned Octopus hook mounted into junction tubing and bottom weight lead wire on the tube, parallel to the tube or bottom mounted barbells, orients the tube quite well.

Barbells on the bottom of the tube, bottom parallel weight lead wire and Octopus hooks mounted into junction tubing upright, are some good ways to help orient the tube, especially flies tied in the round with no wing.

http://www.flyfishusa.com/flies/bend-back.htm
 
#7 ·
tube flies really lend them selves to larger flies. I went on a hairwing tube kick for less than a season and couldn't fish those abborations.
tube are great winter or leach style flies with lots of movement.
The smallest flie I use with tubes anymore are size 4/6 muddlers if I want to fish in the "film."
other hairwing style flies look like garbage with even the smallest hooks cinched into the junction tubing. Just my observations on the D.
 
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