The Tube Fly Advantage and Plastic Tubing
Plastic Tube Fly Bodies
Fly fishing can be a sport of highs and lows. There’s that rush of excitement as a fish hits your fly and the surge of adrenaline as the fight begins, but there is also that feeling of disappointment when that trophy throws your hook and all you reel in is your shredded fly, the one you spent hours tying and perfecting. This is one concept in fly fishing that is rapidly changing with the spreading popularity of the tube fly. It has long since proven it’s self in Europe, and with a recent surge of interest, it is quickly working it’s way to the top here in America. There is no doubt, the tube fly has numerous advantages in comparison to the conventional fly including improved life span of a fly, landing more fish and extreme versatility.
You’ve spent hours at the vise developing and tying new flies for tomorrows fishing trip. Pleased with the outcome you know all your hard work could be demolished in one bite. The life span of a fly has increased drastically with the awakening of the tube fly. When hit by a toothy fish, a conventional fly is usually shredded, while a tube fly will simply slid up the leader out of harms way. Hooks will also eventually get bent, dull or rusted ending the life of a regular fly. However, with a tube fly you can simply replace the hook with a new one. This allows anglers to use and re-use flies over and over again leaving you more time to create and fish new patterns.
As anglers, we all strive for that common goal to land more fish! In fly fishing, this has been remedied by the use of the tube fly. Although it is hard to give an exact number for increased success ratio, the facts speak for themselves. The smaller short shank hook used with a tube fly does not bend and twist like a long shank hook while fighting a fish, which often causes it to dislodge. Less hook leverage with a short shank hook and the ability to precisely control the placement of the hook on your fly also result in a higher percentage of fish caught. Control over so many aspects of the tube fly, from it’s weight to it’s hook size increases your chance of creating fly the fish can‘t resist.
Versatility is one of the most alluring and obvious benefits to tying and fishing tube flies. The ability to control the fly pattern size and style independently from your hook size and style gives you an overwhelming number of options. Tiers can combine short shank hooks with long bodied flies, controlling weight and making them easier to cast. Because a tube fly is not tied directly onto the hook like a conventional fly, anglers can easily adjust the hook size and style depending on the conditions and the species they are fishing. Simply rig your leader with the hook you want, slide the fly on and you are ready to fish. The tying platform of a tube fly is also more versatile than a hook shank, but the choices can be staggering when picking a body for your fly. There’s an overwhelming number of styles, colors and sizes of tubes available. One of the most popular is the flexible plastic tube body, from a tiny trout fly to a huge salmon fly, it’s great to tie on.
Today, flexible plastic tubes are the standard in tube fly tying. They are very easy to tie on and the material is extremely durable and unaffected by extreme temperatures. Flexible plastic tubes work well with light weight, low profile flies and allows a direct hook connection. The tubing is available in four sizes from large to extra small and fit snuggly into one another. Depending on the manufacturer, the tubing comes in a variety of lengths and colors. Eumer offers the flexible plastic tubing in bright and transparent colors. The Canadian Tube Fly Company and F.I.T.S (Frodin) also provide exceptional tubing along with their other tube fly products. Extremely versatile, this plastic tubing adds amazing life and color to the body of your fly. Many tube fly patterns utilize the plastic tube, check out this Pike Tube Fly pattern tied on a Large Eumer plastic tube.
From all the unique and interchangeable components to catching more fish, we can’t deny the tube fly offers many distinct advantages over the conventional fly. As more and more fly tiers and anglers realize the numerous benefits and options that it presents, the day of tying on hook shanks will be numbered. In essence, it represents the evolution of the modern sport of fly fishing.
