[twohand]

I'm kind of a tube fly rookie, and was wondering how you fellas get your plastic tubes straight so they don't spin in the water???
Thanks'
twohand

 

[MJC]

Straight Tubes

With the spaghetti air line I gently heat the convex side which usually causes the tube to straighten. Occasionally I have persuade it a little with my fingers. Take care, MJC

 

[JR SPEY]

Do you mean the tube itself or the hookkeeper tubing that is often added to the tail end of metal tubes? I've never noticed any appreciable curvature of the tubes themselves so I've never really worried about it. Of course, I tie 90% of all my tube flies in the round so I don't know if it would make that much difference anyway unless it were really pronounced.

 

[nevada caster]

spaghetti tubing

MJC is referring to a tubing that you can get at a few of the auto parts stores that you can use for the tube itself. It has a very strong memory built into it, and you need to apply heat to get it out. I beleive tht the tubing that most use for the hook keeper is polypropelene (sp?) and the pieces that one uses are so short, that I never considered trying to get it out. I would guess that a small amount of heat would do the trick.
For the spaghetti tubing, I don a pair of gloves and pass about a foot section over the heat of a cooking stove for a few seconds. Then pull and work it a bit. I end up throwing a small portion away, but it is still cheap.

 

[twohand]

Thanks for the help!!!!

 

[Bee]

peter -I have been experimenting with tubes and waddington shanks, and the answer to their pattern interchangability would appear to be : yes. Looks to me like the patterns work either way. I note that some waddington tiers(intruder tiers) appearto be weighting the flies in certain postions so as to control how the fly rides in the water (ex:lead eyes to make the top of the fly stay in the upright posiiton)....others with more experience may disagree.

 

[Willie Gunn]

Tubes/Waddingtons

Peter,
I prefer waddintons to tubes as you can get the flies thinner and I think fat flies do not look as nice, the salmon do not give a damn but I like skinny flies. Otherwise I find them interchangeable, I add weight to waddington shanks I find brass tubes just toooooo heavy

 

[JDJones]

Waddington shanks

Instead of using Waddington shanks, try women's hair pins. They are unbelievably cheap! Made from flat wire, dipped in some sort of plastic which is allowed to form a droplet at the back end. Perfect for holding the hook retainer tube. If you think it might make a difference, they are probably available in all kinds of colors. Ask your Daughter.

><///('>
JD

 

[Maxg]

You could try the ink tube out of Ball Point pens, like Bic pens. Clean the ink out with a pipoe cleaner, you get two tubes if you cut it in half, and it is straight, Works very well for salt water billfish flies, is very thin as well. Should make nice tube flies for Salmon.

 

[fredaevans]

Max, that's a great idea ... and we all have

a drawer full of old ball point pens. (Like wire coat hangers, I think these things "breed" in dark places.)

And welcome to the board; suspect your our first member from ' down-under.'

fae

Pete, welcome to the Willie Gunn ... I think Malcom has rotted all our brains with his choice of board name. But, darned things sure work here on the Rogue! Our fall run kings are starting to show in large numbers in the upper river and (last year) the WG was one of my 'go to' fly's for these fellows.

Now if I/someone could come up with a fly that the October (small) run of silvers could get interested in ......
fae

 

[Willie Gunn]

Spring Fishing Scotland

Choice of fly, any, as long as it is a Willie Gunn. It makes things simple.

 

[Maxg]

Hey guys, thats not my idea it's what is inside every Cam Sigler Billfish tube fly. It's a great idea, and you can use it for all sizes and types of flies. And if you want to stop the fly sliding up the tippet you just put a nail knot around the leader in front of the tube. The biger bit holds the hook eye and you ca=n cast it all day without it stuffing up. Max
PS, dunno if I'm the first OZ but I'm glad to be here.

 

[Per Stadigh]

On curvature in plastic tubing:

The easiest way to get it out is simply to boil the tubes in water. (Contrary to pasta I suggest that you boil well past "al dente"!)

Then put them on a flat surface to cool/dry.

Per

 

[MJC]

Hey Fred...

[QUOTE FROM FRED]a drawer full of old ball point pens. (Like wire coat hangers, I think these things "breed" in dark places.[/QUOTE]

Hopefully you still have a drawer full that say "KEY BANK" on them.
:hehe: