Please Explain What A Tube Fly Is

[oatka 0]

Ok, so I've seen these tube flies tied up here and wonder what the crap they are. To me, they look like a fly tied on a tube (duh) but no hook or hook eye even to tie the line onto.

 

So, could someone please explain to me what they are and how to use them, if they are used for fishing.

 

Similarly I tied up my first saftey pin fly the other day for my 2 year old daughter. It was a lady bug that she wore day and night for 2 days. Then her older brother was nice enough to help her lose it.

 

So, are tub flies just for decoration?

 

Thanks!

:help:

[Redwings1 0]

fly tied on a tube (duh) but no hook or hook eye even to tie the line onto

 

Yup...that is pretty much it. You then place a short length of softer plastic/rubber tube on the back, thread your line through the whole deal, tie on your hook, and pull up in to the back. The theory behind them is that you can us a short shank hook with a full size fly. The short shank hook gives the fish much less leverage with which to throw the hook. Also the fly does not get torn up as much if it releases from the connector piece adn slides up the line...but I have not had that happen. You can also use tubes of different metals to gain a faster sink rate on your fly than you could achieve wrapping lead. They are not for decoration, but are actually pretty solid fish catching machines

[flyboyutah 0]

From what I have seen in books and the web . Tube flies are becoming popular due to that the idea is, that with the hook is tied on to a leader that runs thru the tube , you can adjust hook size, or replace if damaged, with out having to tie different hooks sizes. Sound like they are many be used for Steelhead and Salmon, but Im looking at using the tube idea this coming summer for Bass and trying a few bass patterns on tubes. hope it give you a idea you could do a search for steelhead and / or salmon tube flies.

[flyboyutah 0]

looks like redwing beat me to the punch line :hyst:

[ostfyn 0]

In scandinavia where I live, tube flies are common in use for both salmon and seetrout. They are dressed in a lot of different patterns, and in tube versions of standard salmon patterns.

 

Perhaps sombody would like to host a tubefly swap? - just to put a litle spotlight to the subject.

 

ostfyn

[Guest]

I have tied tube flies for saltwater fish. They work great with circle hooks which really don't have any usable shank. I even tie tube Clousers that have been very effective.