[CDG]

I just started tying tubes and have been tying on 1/8 black air break line and really like the stuff but when i tried it out yesterday the tiemco 105 i was using wouldn't come out of the tube when the fish was hook because of the tight fit. My question: Is this going to be a problem down the road and if so how do i remedy it? Thanks in advance.

 

[Willie Gunn]

Did you land your fish?
Yes - what problem!

No. do not push the tube on to the hook so tight, just enough to hold it works for me.

 

[Dana]

stick it in your mouth

I bite the ends of my airbrake tubing to flatten it, then stick the hook eye in. this makes the tube a little less snug and the hook will come out easier. Until I started doing this the hook often stayed in the tube when playing a fish, but this didn't seem to make much of a difference.

 

[Gardener]

One of the main benefits of a tube fly is that it allows you to use a large fly but avoids the problem of leverage associated with a long rigid hook.

I'm not familiar with air brake line, so can't comment specifically on it. If it bends easily under an angled tension (imagine how the angle changes as a fish moves up and downstream of you during a fight), there isn't a leverage problem.

If, however, the tubing is quite stiff, you need to think further. If you can contrive that the hook pops out of the end of the tube using Dana's method, that should be fine. Otherwise, use the soft tubing suggested on the 'method to tie hooks behind tubes' thread (silicone rubber tube is widely available over here for this purpose). This guarantees an articulated fly, but still holds the hook in alignment.

In practice it probably won't make a difference for most of the fish you hook. Trouble is, it's the big ones that fight longest, and the long fights are where the effects of leverage may start to show...

 

[james reales]

tube flies

Heres a little help. If you buy air brake hose by the roll. Take you a piece of 1/2 inch pvc tubeing about 2 feet long. Make sure the ends of it are threaded. So you can buy two end caps for it. Then cut your air brake line into two foot pieces. Then but it inti the 1/2 pvc tube. But the caps on. Then put it in your dishwasher. And run it through a cycle. Like your washing dishes. Then the air line tube come out straight. Thank you Jim















i

 

[fredaevans]

Jim, very interesting idea!

I assume it's the water heat that's doing the job (softening up the tube material) .. or is it the higher heat in the 'dry cycle?' Assume (hot day) you could get the same results by putting the pipe section out in the sun (or over a heater vent) in cooler weather.

Ever tried doing it either of these ways?
fae

 

[speydoc]

CDG
Try heating the ends of the airbrake line, so that you have a rim on both ends - this will narrow the lumen so the hook will not slip into the airbrake line - the hook can then be secured to the tube fly with any soft junctional type tubing. I use IV tubing(pm me if you cannot find any) - the heated rim holds the IV tubing onto the tubefly nicely. You can also try other hooks - Patridge carphook #4 or Daiichi 3111 #1 - they both have a slightly larger eye
speydoc

 

[james reales]

tube hooks

If you are using air brake line. Instead of flating the ends of it out. Try using some srink tubeing on the end of the air line. in other words use the srink tubeing as a conjuction tube.

 

[nevada caster]

There is a clear 1/8 in. tubing available at auto parts stores that is more flexible than the black. I was told it is used for oil pressure guages, etc. Since it is more flexible, it will take a hook and give up a hook easier. (It is harder to find)
The Tiemco 105 is a fairly heavy wire hook. There is a lighter wire Partridge hook available called a Nordic Single that will fit easier. The smaller the wire, the smaller the eye.
There have been a lot of discussion inthe past about theses hooks. If you do asearch, you can get a lot of info

 

[sagefly]

You can try using a silcone tubing it allows the hook to come away easily when a fish takes it and you can get it in a asortment of colours to brighten up or tone down the flea.