How to Tie a Tube Fly

Tube Flies are a great way to save fly material and use the same fly for different situations. The construction of the tube fly on a simple, well you guessed it, tube allows you to weight the same fly a number of ways using heavier hooks and attached split shot. You can tie any pattern you like. Experiment and have fun.

Things You'll Need

• Vise
• Scissors
• Tube mandrel
• Tube
• Fly material
• Bobbin
• Bodkin
• Thread
• Head cement

Instructions

1. Choose tubing with a diameter wide enough to fit the largest test tippet, or leader, you will use with the fly. This will keep the fly from spinning around the leader.

2. 

   Cut a length of tubing long enough that the deepest part of the hook bend does not pass 1/3 of the fly's body length.

3. 

   Place the tubing over your mandrel, tighten down, and tie on.

4. Add an additional weight, other than a hook, if you choose. It's a good idea to use a conehead weight or lead wire, rather than a barbell eye. The barbell eyes have a tendency to spin on the plastic tubing and give the fly a wobbly look in the water.

5. 

   Tie in your upper body, or darker body hair. Make sure you dress the entire top half of the tubing, fish can sense something is off kilter if the baitfish it is chasing has a large plastic tube exposed along the length of it’s body.

6. Add crystal flash to simulate a baitfish’s lateral line and give the fly a little more life.

7. 

   Tie in your lighter underbody material. Once again, make sure to cover the remaining half of the fly.

8. Finish with a whip knot and seal the knot with head cement or epoxy.