I’m an enthusiastic fan of tying steelhead swing flies on tubes, and use a wide variety of tube components on a regular basis. This experience helps me keep informed with many but not all of the options available to the tube tyer. Still, I am most familiar with ProSportfisher, and have relatively little experience with other manufacturers of tube fly components. Even with ProSportfisher components, there are so many options that I’m sure that I am unaware of many of these.
The purpose of this blog post is to walk the prospective tube fly tyer through the basic options for constructing steelhead flies on ProSportfisher components. Kindly remember that there are other options available for tube flies, and my emphasis on this manufacturer is simply a reflection of my area of expertise, and is in no way dismissive of other brands. I’m writing about the components that I am most familiar with, no more and no less. I am pleased with the components I use from ProSportfisher and find no compelling reason to look further.
OK, with this background on the table, I’ll get started.
Tying on tubes with ProSportfisher components can be as simple as this. You can either go with the top row (hook guide, drop weight, and ultrasonic disc on a microtube) – or you can go with the middle row (FlexiTube plus flexiweight plus disc). Any weight is interchangable and will fit, as are all cone heads. The Flexineedle shown in the bottom row is secured in your fly vise to hold the tube while you are tying.
Here is a link to the full range of components I will show in this article.
Here is the wall of ProSportfisher tube components in the Caddis Fly Shop. A dizzying inventory for even the most seasoned tube fly tyer. There are roughly three hundred distinct components here, and that does not even count the hair offered that is displayed on a separate wall.
The first component you will need is a Flexineedle, in the standard size, to secure in your fly vise and hold the tube.
Now you need a tube. These are Flexituubes. These have a 40mm rear section that may be trimmed to the length preferred by the tyer – and also serves to hold the hook. The front of the tube is smaller diameter and is suited to hold all of the ProSportfisher weights and cones. One may tie on both the large and small diameter sections of these tubes. These tubes do not require the addition of a hook holder (hook guide).
These are clear Microtubes on the right and NanoTubes on the left. These are the same outside diameter as the thin section of the Flexitube and as such are designed to hold all of the weights and cones interchangeably.
This photo shows several colors of Micro Tubes on the right side of the image. ProSportfisher has a full range of color options on most of the various tubes offered.
If you tie on the Micro Tubes or NanoTubes instead of the FlexiTubes, you will need a hook guide to hold the hook at the rear of the fly. This photo shows a pack of pink Hook Guides. The photo below shows several colors of hook guides.
You may or may not wish to add a weight to your tube fly. This photo shows several options for weighting a fly and are all sized to fit on Flexitubes, Microtubes, and Nanotubes shows previously.
This is a package of Drop weights. These are offered in five sizes and at least three colors.
This is a pack of tungsten raw weights. These are offered in several sizes.
These are Flexi weights and are offered in various colors and up to five sizes.
These are several of the color options of Cone discs, offered in many sizes and all fit on the tubes like all other cones and weights.
Chartreuse Cone Disc.
Several color options of Ultra Sonic Discs that are also offered in different sizes.
Metallic Red Ultra Sonic Disc.
An assortment of the large brass discs that are offered in several colors and sizes.
Chartreuse metal disc.
To review, tying on tubes with the ProSportfisher components can be as simple as this. You can either go with the top row (hook guide, drop weight, and ultrasonic disc on a microtube) – or you can go with the middle row (FlexiTube plus flexiweight plus disc). Any weight is interchangable and will fit, as are all cone heads. The Flexineedle shown in the bottom row is secured in your fly vise to hold the tube while you are tying.
I hope this review helps readers who have felt confused about getting started tying on tubes.
Jay Nicholas Winter 2016/17
And to think we used to tie large salt water tube flies on emptied thin ink pen cartridges many, many decades ago. We also stacked them, as necessary.