Salmon tube fly: 1/2 inch Black & Orange copper tube in the jaws of this October Atlantic salmon. Note the teeth marks on the back of the fish. Dolphins teeth made these parallel marks – Out in the estuary flocks of Bottlenose dolphins was also enjoying the fruits of autumn
Getting Heavy – with salmon tube fly history
Heavy tube flies is quite an outstanding thing in the fly box, and I believe that many North American anglers reading this will be shaking their heads in disbelief at these jig like contraptions. The heavy salmon tube fly is not a new Scandi fancy – They have been with the European angler sins the birth of tube-flies.
In 1932 UK angler and author of many fine books; Mr. Alexander Wanless, in his book The Angler And The Thread Line shows the world the first tube flies. Some of the flies was made on lead barrels shaped to perfection, others was designed to take the weights in the front of the fly. Read more on the salmon tube fly history
The first salmon tube fly
Here wonderful color plates from Alexander Wanless Book The Angler And The Thread Line 1932 Showing flies from the thread line series. Flies with swinging or detached hook yet another smart way of avoiding a rigid lure. Flies with weights added to the head of the fly Flies tied on shaped lead barrels
The modern heavy salmon tube fly
Black & Orange
Together with super known flies Like: the Garry and Willie Gunn the Black & Orange copper tube – would be valuable to any angler fishing peaty rivers in Scotland – A simple and very productive salmon tube fly for early and late fishing…
I use a normal sowing needle to tie the tubes on – and a piece of our 2,6 millimeter top grade hook guard tubing – Buy needle and tubing in our E shop
Tie down the hook-guard. Make a tag on top of the tie down. Here I have used Holographic Orange tinsel. Tie in silver rib – And a strand of black wool
Tie body and rib and your ready for next step. Be sure to tighten things down…This fly is going to accumulate some energy when you start casting
Tie in wing of orange hair. Here polar bear. Buck-tail is also a first class material.
Freshly spawned: Black & Orange salmon tube fly
Finish fly with a black wing. Here fox. On top: add few strands of Crystal Flash. Head finished with super glue
Here the Garry on a copper tube. The Garry is a superior tube fly. A pattern also for clear rivers, especially two days after a flood – When the river still has that yellow tint. The fly was designed by a James Wright from Kelson-On-Tweed in the late 1930´s
When to tie on a heavy salmon tube fly ?
When we want to get down in the water column as quickly as possible we tie on a heavy salmon tube fly – Many anglers will also combine sinking lines with heavy tubes.
When we have use for the heavy tube fly the temperature is often dipping below 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) – and a well presented fly is a slow fly
Salmon anglers could also turn to the heavy salmon tube fly in the transition period between bottom fishing and surface fishing: 8 – 3 degree Celsius (46 – 37 degrees Fahrenheit). When summer becomes autumn in the north – or when spring still is cold..as ice
Speed of the current a factor
The speed of the current could also have you change to a heavy salmon tube fly – to get down those extra inches to a different speed of water than that of the surface – It could also be the spot on the other bank that needs a presentation 10 inches bellow as soon as the fly hits the water..
