Ruben Martin’s Tube Humpy. Ruben Martin has been tying tube flies for over a decade. He’s known worldwide for his tying skills.
Those hook-tied flies are a tough sell
Henry Clement, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, August 2023.
By Henry Clement
Imagine someone suggesting we try a new type of fly that can be tied directly onto the top of the hook shank. However, this fly could be damaged during the initial fish-on, or if the hook itself becomes irreparably damaged, the fly would be a total loss. They also warn that a hook-tied fly is almost always harder to cast than a standard tube fly. Plus, all these hook-tied flies would need to be stored in a plastic box rather than in a shirt or pants pocket, along with various hooks in their original packaging, so conditions would dictate which interchangeable hook to use.
Oh my goodness!
My friend Angie Roth, an avid tube fly angler, compares hook-tied flies to a 19th-century remedy: tobacco smoke enemas to cure headaches and menstrual cramps. Is that where the saying “Blow smoke up your arse” comes from?
Group think
It’s hard to see what would motivate celebrity fly tiers, talented anglers, and professional guides to exclude the benefits of tube flies in favor of hook-tied flies. Resistance to change is probably the main reason, along with the discomfort of having someone other than a designated club member point out the differences.
“Au contraire,” a limited list
Contrasting the rejection of the tube fly are those at the top tier who support it. For instance, and not limited to, Tim Flagler (see Orvis below), April Vokey, Peter Charles, Jay Nicholas, Brian Flechsig, Captain Andrew Derr, and nearly the entire Scandinavian community of fly fishers. All of whom were influenced by Mikael Frödin, the renowned innovator who reintroduced tube flies in the mid-1980s.
Additionally, there’s Ruben Martin, a lone wolf and exceptional fly tier and tube fly innovator, who is also Argentina’s well-known fly caster and instructor, having appeared numerous times in these pages.
These tube flies are for a rainy day when the trout is deep and not feeding on the surface. Olive Wooly Bugger on tube by Håvard Eidebugger tube [dryfly.me]. Image credit flyfisher.org – Wooly Bugger tube flies
Jon Larrabee
Another innovator and out-of-the-box thinker is the Maine engineer Jon Larrabee, who is likened to the state’s motto, Dirigo, which reflects Maine’s easternmost position—the sun rises first, symbolizing leadership and independence. Larrabee is also the United States’ premier tube fly product supplier and is perhaps better known for HMH fly tying Vises.
The community of tube fly tiers and anglers begins
Along with Jon Larrabee, I hope your experiences with this publication’s new investment in tube flies align with your open-mindedness.
An unexpected player, Orvis
Enjoy the six Orvis-inspired one-minute tube fly tutorials taught by Tim Flagler, of Tightline Productions.
Two . . .
Sponsored
