The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

any of you fish tube flies? I've been wanting to give them a try and was kicking the idea around to make tubes for the swap. I've tied a few but never fished with them as I'm not really sure of a good set up. are shorter shanked hooks preferred for this application? then again I don't see why tube could be over the shank. would you typically put a bead between the hook and the tube? I don't know, what you guys think?

Never use or tied a tube fly...but if you include one in the swap I might!

I fish tube flies all the time. Tube flies allow you to fish really big flies with out using big hooks. Check out this site if you want some instructions on how to fish/ ties them www.irishangler.com .They are very durable and when you wear the hook out you change the hook out.

I use tiemco 105 hooks or just gamakatsu octopus hooks.

Cool site and great information.

Quick question: How do you connect the hook to the tubefly? Do you run the leader through the tube, tie it to the hook, and then pull the eye of the hook into the tube to lock it in place?

Thanks,

Buzz

Buzz wrote:
Cool site and great information.

Quick question: How do you connect the hook to the tubefly? Do you run the leader through the tube, tie it to the hook, and then pull the eye of the hook into the tube to lock it in place?

Thanks,

Buzz

pretty much. but i think the pattern dictates whether you secure the hook or not. if you tied a hair wing style you want the hook to stay put but if you tied a wolly bugger it could spin around since its symetrical. i've seen them tied on metal tubes that have a short plastic piece at the end that the hook eye fits in. i think i'm going to give them a try for the swap but i'm going to use platic tubes and i'm wondering how to add some weight. maybe a cone head or something.

I saw a cool site that showed how to mix and match differnet tubes. basically, they would tie a palmered marabou body, like an alaskabou or popsicle and then tied the heads in differnet colors. that way you can mix and match different colors.

I really want to tie something big for bass. maybe stack three or four tubes on each other and fish it like a soft plastic.

I also saw some great shrimp patterns tied on tubes as well.

TUBES ABSOLUTLEY ROCK!

Thread the Tube on the your leader first. Then attach an Owner or Octopus hook behind the tube using a 1" perfection loop. The knot in the loop will keep the hook about 1 inch behind the back of the tube about mid body in the fly.

Sometimes I will thread on more than on tube fly to create a larger profile before tying on the hook.

best thing about the tubes is the ability to cahnge out the hooks when needed as opposed to tossin the fly.

You can keep dozens of tube flies in a small plastic bag along with a pack of hooks and you are ready to go!

Also.. tie some flies on brass tubes to really dredge deep...