Keeling tube flies?

[schloshd1]

For the sake of trying something new I have messed around with a few tube flies.









What I would like to know is how to keel them, the bait fish patterns, so that they swim the correct way up. I have tied a few strips of lead wire along the length of bottom of tube. I have not tested them in the pool yet but I am not 100% convinced that the lead wire will work properly. Short of maybe tying dumbbell eyes in, is there any way of making sure that they swim the right side up?

Thanks
Andrew

[Jax]

Hi Andrew; You Could try tying in a weed guard of Stainless Ball Chain either hanging loose or tied in aft depending on tube length. Like your flies and I am sure you will have a lot of fun. Jax

[schloshd1]

Thanks Jax, I'll give it a go.

[Jax]

Andrew; Another way is to string some beads on a piece of mono and tie that in. Much easier to handle than Ball Chain and you can choose the colour you want. Have Fun. Jax

[Paul Weingartz]

Andrew, some suggestions: Especially with big flies adding lead makes them harder to cast properly, so an easier solution to proper keeling is to build in a 15 mm( approx) section of larger tubing over the back of the main tube. This needs to be big enough for hook eye to be pushed into about 6 to 8 mm. When fishing the fly, after tying on the hook, you push the hook eye into the plastic tube in the right orientation, so the hook provides the keel. When the fish takes, the tube comes loose from the hook as normal. You may still be able to add this tubing to your existing flies. Another suggestion is while tying profile flies like above that you want to swim upright, tie more of the profile above the hook shaft and mount the eye higher too. This applies to normal and tube flies. Else the bulky material can override the keeling effect of the hook and any weight you may have used. Tying too much below the shaft also closes the gape on standard flies. Hope this makes sense.

[schloshd1]

Hi Paul. Thanks for the advise, I have some of that plastic tubing that comes with braided loops and will try that on smaller flies. And maybe something like aquarium air line tubing on the bigger ones.

[poppernel]

Andrew, some suggestions: Especially with big flies adding lead makes them harder to cast properly, so an easier solution to proper keeling is to build in a 15 mm( approx) section of larger tubing over the back of the main tube. This needs to be big enough for hook eye to be pushed into about 6 to 8 mm. When fishing the fly, after tying on the hook, you push the hook eye into the plastic tube in the right orientation, so the hook provides the keel. When the fish takes, the tube comes loose from the hook as normal. You may still be able to add this tubing to your existing flies. Another suggestion is while tying profile flies like above that you want to swim upright,[B] tie more of the profile above the hook shaft and mount the eye [/B]higher too. This applies to normal and tube flies. Else the bulky material can override the keeling effect of the hook and any weight you may have used. [B]Tying too much below the shaft also closes the gape on [/B]standard flies. Hope this makes sense.

Thanks, that does make plenty sense.

DAVE

[Paul Weingartz]

Andrew that aquarium tubing is the type of bigger tubing I am referring to. Of course you may have to vary the size dependant on the size of hook eye you plan to use.