Silver Side Sun Ray tied by Ruben Martin.
Capt. Andrew Derr’s response to Martin’s ‘Sunray’ is a Sand Eel
By Skip Clement
I’m not sure if there’s a sunray fish, but its likeness is well established as filet mignon for Atlantic salmon, sea trout, brown trout, and grayling in Europe. Tube flies tied as a ‘Sunray’ version are especially powerful in Scandinavian Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. With vast fisheries, the Argentinians are introduced to tube flies by Ruben Martin, an international celebrity fly-tying expert and author of the attached video. A tube version by Martin’s Sunray would be looked forward to and a great comparison.
Ruben Martin, reconocido atador de moscas a nivel mundial, instructor de casteo y conservacionista con el guía Facundo Pomponio, sosteniendo una hermosa trucha marron capturada usando una mosca tubo atada esa misma mañana. Foto de Martin.
Is it a sand lance?
A fly similar to the ‘Sunray’ here in the US is probably the sand eel and most likely the lesser sand eel or sand lance (Ammodytes tobianos). Like the Euro version, it is easy to tie and significantly more effective when tied as a tube fly, according to the Scandinavians and Moi.
Capt. Derr is on the ready with sand eels. He says, “Find the eels; predators, stripers, albies, and blue fish will not be far behind them.” Find the best color and size and make a good cast—you will be off to the races.
Sand eel
Sand eels are seasonally on the menu for stripers throughout their range along the US Eastern Seaboard’s coastal flats from spring to mid-August, then again in the fall into November, plus or minus a week or two at either end.
Note: Sand eels migrate from deep water into shallow waters, offering both the skiff or bay boat fishers and shoreline or surf anglers the same good luck. Like sand eels, Baitfish almost always has guest travelers like Peanut Bunker and others. They move as a single mass in and out, looking for their 7-Eleven. The predators are in hot pursuit.
The angler’s problem is always, ‘Where are they?’ Sight fishing in shallow water flats for any species is one of the most thrilling fly fishing experiences.
Casting is the game-changer
You will likely run close to zero if you cannot cast well, catching anything on the flats. The trout gurus say you catch all the fish at 30′ or less, but not so on the salt or any flats.
If there were a comparison reference for the difficulty of tying a Sunray fly, it could be posed as a question: Can you tie your shoelaces? Of course, that is an exaggeration, but it’s not that far off.
There are advantages
For those unfamiliar with tying tube flies, fear not. It’s the same as tying on a hook. Click here to learn the advantages of tube flies versus hook-tied.
NOTE 2: Your local fly shop may know what a tube fly is, but they probably will not stock them. However, West Coast Canadian and Maritime Provinces, US Northwest fly shops, and Great Lakes fly shops for both US and Canadian anglers will have tube flies.
Capt. Derr with a clients nice albie.
Leadership
Europe, especially the Scandinavians, are decades ahead of reluctant US and Canadian fly tyers stuck in the limits of using tubes almost exclusively for steelhead and salmon angling. Each tube flies practically the same. In any fly shop fly bin, steelhead and most salmon tube flies appear at a glance to be the same fly with differing sizes and colors. However, reasonably significant differences in how they swim, materials, and weights exist. Their standout is being different as a ‘type.’ They work well enough, so why not innovate or look beyond?
Beware of goblins
†If you dare fly fishing a tube fly for trout, fellow anglers will sign the cross to help protect them from your sinful ways.
NOTE 3: Ruben Martin has been tying and fly fishing tube flies for well ove a decade. His innovatons and tying tube fly techniques has had a global impact. Go to his website and sign up for a Patreon Account and get – you will beglad you did.
Watch Ruben Martin tie the Silver Side Sun Ray Tube fly
