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Tyler's Tubes

8K views 27 replies 13 participants last post by  Willie Gunn 
#1 · (Edited)
Tyler's Tubes

These two flies are the mainstay of my winter/spring fishing on the Skagit/Skykomish and summer/fall fishing on the Skeena/Thompson. I have recently converted them to tube flies and have noticrd no reduction in their fish appeal. As I tie both flies in an extensive range of sizes my flybox is now quite streamlined these and a few selected low water patterns are all you will find!





"Voodoo Child"

Both flies are tied from size 6-3/0 and when not on tubes I prefer Bartleet Supreme hooks. As tubes I tie them from 1 1/2" to 7" and use Tiemco 105 on the small ones and 800B #2 or 1/0

* though I call it black the fly really is purple, however, the dyed GP goes so dark in the water that the effect is black - hence the name.

Tail:
- black hair (black bear) at least as as long as the shank

- a natural Golden Pheasant tippet, either a small one bunched on either side of the tail or a longer one with a small "V" cut out and layed along the bear hair

- next take 2 matched pecary hairs and tie them in so they "V" out (this can be tricky but I've found it easier on tubes due to the width)

Rib:
- wide pearlescent mylar, counterwound with light coloured monocord for durability.

Body:
- purple dubbing, dub about 1/3 of the body then wrap 2 or 3 turns of tinsel and tie off (I do NOT bother to rib the body after the first wing)

1st wing:
- from a purple dyed golden pheasant skin find the marabou-like feathers along the flank. Tie in 2 or 3 of these to form a wing that should extend back past the tippets. In front of the wing wind a folded hackle feather (also selected from the flank of the GP skin - go for the nice shiny ones on top of the marabou).

2nd wing:
- in front of the 1st wing dub more purple to cover the 2nd 1/3 of the shank. At this point build a 2nd wing like the 1st one. This wing should extend back and overlap the 1st wing giving the effect of a matuka wing. Finish this and the fly with another folded hackle. On larger versions I sometimes tie a 3rd wing and/or wrap an extra hackle at the rear of the body before the first dubbing.



THE RAGING PRAWN
I tie this essentially as I do the Black/purple version, though I seldom bother with low water versions.

Tail:
- Mix a small clump of orange and red bucktail or suitable substitute.

- for this fly I always use the clipped tippet and extend it back 1- 1 1/2"

Body:
- same style except red dubbing

Wings:
- I use wooley bugger marabou and each wing is a clump (usually 1-1 1/2" of the tip) of first true orange topped with a similar clump of hot orange.

- in front of this wrap a folded red-brown hackle feather from a natural golden pheasant skin.

- as with the Black fly finish with more dubbing a 2nd wing and hackle.

NOTE - When I want a fly the really DEMANDS a fish's attention I substitute a 3-4" rabbit strip as a tail and the rest as is - the black version I call "The Beast" and the orange one the "Raging Beast".

Tight lines - tyler.

 
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#2 ·
Kush ---- Have you tied tubes for salt water in Aluminium or brass ? if so are you using Kennnebec River components for the liner and hook conection I would assume you are using the same connector on the nylon tubes. I want to extend the hook point from the main body for Salt water salmon I am new to the Tube fly program.
Tight lines
saltRon
 
#5 ·
saltRon,

I have not tied tubes for the salt, however I have tied steelhead patterns on brass tubes. I made my own tube/liner set-up with hobby store brass tubing and plastic tubing to fit inside. I flared the plastic tubing and slid it inside the brass and measured it for length and cut it, then I super glued it inside the brass. This is not really a hassle once you get the materials and it is a heck of lot cheaper than the store bought versions.

Tight lines - tyler.
 
#7 ·
I've played around with tube flies for salt, in fact because of the way coho hit the fly the hook rates are radically higher with a tube than a standard fly. Long shank hooks are better than standard, double snells like the moochers use are the highest hook rate but the tube is a close second.

I use the nylon tubes for salt, no corrosion at all. The only problem I encountered was when the plastic got compressed by over-zealous amount of materials and thread (for other's sake coho flies are large!). I had a hard time getting them off the mandrel then. Eventually did, of course.

Metal tubes do not have this problem.

Also at the hobby store is aluminum tubing suitable for use in SW tube flies. Although it won't rust I suppose the pitting could damage line if not washed after every use.

I had this really crazy tube fly tied with rabbit fur, flashabou, grizzly hackles, etc - boy did it ever catch hooknoses! I landed several in the mid-teens that trip. We each averaged over 20 fish per day at Sekiu, Washington in early September's fall coho run. When the fly would run up the leader from the fight, another coho would often appear in pursuit of the fly now dangling up the line. Wild times!
 
#9 ·
saltRon

I have used clear plastic medical IV-type tubing and really liked it. What I have been using lately is very fine surgical tubing that is sold in model stores and used as gas lines for radio controlled planes - it is excellent and fits perfectly over the hollow Q-Tip tubes and with a little work over the brass tubes. You may want to check out a plastic shop to find different sizes of plastic tubes - though I have found the sizes I need at the same model shop as above where it is used as a cable housing for gearshifts (I haven't found a use for the braided cable that comes with it yet!).

Tight lines - tyler.
 
#10 ·
Juro,
I tried the tube flies and had a similar result. How did you get the plastic tubes off? Maybe I am just using too much pressure when wrapping. Thanks, Nick
 
#11 ·
Kush, I need you to tie me some Ragin' Prawn tubes for the Dean (1 dozen would be nice!) In return I'll swap you some T-Tubes, a handful of WD-40 nozzles and your ceramic bobbin (which will be held hostage until I see the Prawns).

I mean, it's not like you have anything better to do...
 
#14 ·
Sturndriver - keep your pants on! Now if I don't get my bobbin back in one piece - phyiscally OR mentally (GLO-BUGS!!!) I will be releasing the "Sturndriver" bio down on Denman Steet! Furthermore, who knows what interesting palm-familiar shape that spey rod handle could take.

As for tube flies - its mayfly/chironomid time for me (though I am getting psyched to try tying some striper patterns for when I go out to see Juro at Cape Cod next summer! We will see what we can tie down at Birch Bay mid-summer - I think I'd rather see some of your tube versions Of Derek Brown's Arctic White than the Thompson Stone!

Tight lines - tyler.

ps - what do you think of Brian's suggestion for this Sat or Sun?
 
#15 ·
Uh Oh! Better not market that one - it could have a really degenerative effect on those who treat their spey rods as extensions of more than just their arms!

Now repeat after me - "this is my SPEYROD and this is my . . . ." <g>

I'll bring along some Striper flies for inspiration on Saturday if I can dig them up.

Glo Bugs??? Dana, are you OK??
 
#19 ·
tube flies

saltron & kush, hi, i have been following your discussion which touches on a problem i have with tying coneheads on plastic tubes. i have various plastic (polyethylene)custom made tubes some lined & some not but i need to find a source for the inner liner even thinner than wd40 straws. it must not exceed 2mm in outer diameter & preferably be softer than the wd40 straws.i find cotton bud plastic tubes very useful but not thin enough for inserting thru cone & then back into main tube. how thin is the product from your model shop? any thoughts gratefully received!paul.
 
#20 ·
New Look at the Raging Prawn

As I'm donating a couple of these to the Seattle Show Raffle I took some photos that I thought I'd post. The second one in particular gives the underside perspective.
 
#22 ·
Tyler

Beautiful pattern....I can see why they work so well...that yellow really comes through in this photo better than the previous postings.....great job....you have got me started on tying tubes again......nicely done

Best regards.....jake
 
#24 ·
Jake,

The "yellow" is actually true orange, it always seems to come up yellow in photos or as happened in the BC Outdoors Magazine photo, it gets overpowered by the hot orange. The colour is actually very much like a Japanese orange colour.

Speaking of Japanese, the orange hook holder was given to me by my good friend and CND Rod Designing genius, Nobuo Nodera from Japan! I am planning on asking him to bring me more when he comes out for the Seattle show. It is cool, it's very thin walled and is probably the nicest stuff I've worked with, it comes in black too.

Another cool thing is the tube the fly is tied on. It too came from Nobuo and is a short section of graphite rod-tip! It is very thin and light - I really like it as well! When Dana and I asked where we could buy it Nobuo just smiled and said you can't - then he winked and reminded us that he is a rod-builder.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Too Cool

If he can bring some of the black and orange hook holder, would I be too bold in asking for several feet as well. I am looking for a thinner material than I am using. I have included a few samples of my tube blanks with the flies for the Seattle show for Dana to critique. Have a look at them and let me know what you think

Failing him being able to provide any hook holder tubing , could Nobuo advise of a supplier?

As aside I see that the CND rods are coming avail...one on the auction block eh?

I am sending my flies tomorrow to Dana for the show. Yours are in there, so when he says they never arrived; hold his bobbin hostage....grin grin
 
#26 ·
He bears watching...

Speybum gave us about 15' of the new type VIII poly-tip stuff - somehow it ended up in Dana's pocket :tsk_tsk:

I'll talk to Nobuo and if Dana doesn't cough up some of that type VIII then maybe I'll give you his share of the tubing (if Nobuo can bring some). :hehe:
 
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