When it comes to tube flies, we’re big fans. Tube flies are fun to tie and offer many advantages over traditional shank-style flies. However, unlike traditional flies, storing tube flies can be a bit of a hassle.
For the most part, a simple Plano box does the trick. That is, until a gust of wind comes along while you have the top open, blowing your flies all over the river. Fly wallets work great at times as well, although wet hands can become a problem when trying to remove only one fly at a time. We’re constantly searching for the best way to house our tubes while out on the water, and while there are more options out there today than ever, we still find this old school trick to work extremely well. Enter, drinking straws.
Yep, those drinking straws. Simple plastic drinking straws found at your local grocery or drug store work wonders for storing tube flies. At only a couple bucks for hundreds of straws, it is an extremely cheap solution. Simply cut to length and slide each tube fly into the straw so that the head of the fly sticks out the end. This way, each fly is far less vulnerable to being blown out of your box when searching for the right pattern, and removing flies from your box with cold wet hands is a breeze. Best of all, housing your tubes in drinking straws compresses even the bulkiest patterns down allowing you to fit more flies in your box! With that said, some flies that incorporate large dumbbell eyes or coneheads may not slide easily into some straws. However, the extra weight on these flies usually keeps them in the box anyhow.
Want to get really organized? They come in a bunch of different colors to help color code your patterns for quick identification. Or better yet, look for clear straws so that you can see your fly through the straw.
Kyle
please don’t publish my email address?
what do you do for flies with dumbell eyes? I’ve been using straws especially for marabou flies on shanks or tubes, but the dumbells have been an issue for me
Hey Gary,
Good question. I haven’t been using anything for flies with large dumbbell eyes for exactly that reason. Although I find the extra weight from the eyes keeps them from blowing around and such, but obviously the bulky-ness of such patterns still take up a lot of space in the box.
However, I have been toying with the idea of using those ‘wider’ straws found at fast food restaurants and such, but have yet to try it. Another experiment added to the list!
Gary:
Split the straw lengthwise with a sharp knife and cut out a notch for the eyes. A good quality straw will still hold its shape even after being split and will still do the job intended. Works well for me.
Jeff
Thanks. I use the fat straws but I hadn’t tried carving them up
Gary:
If you don’t want to mess with the notch for the eyes just thread the fly into the split straw and let it close back up behind the eyes.
I still like to use my HMH Tubes or the Eumer tubes for making tube flies. I want to note that I purchased a all white tubing that Architect’s use in model making of buildings which is available at hobby stores. Also I purchased a plastic tubing that is used in battery powered cars with remote. This tubing comes in approx. 1/8″ dia. .
Ah the mother of invention! I too had a peacock of a fly box. Great ideas guys/gals. My solution came to me using 3/4″ or smaller clear heat shrink tubing purchased at electrical distributors. Shrink the piece of tubing around an appropriate size rigid tube and you have a custom size that will fit all scenarios. Miss the NakNek dearly, you guys are so lucky.
I also use drinking straws of assorted sizes to hold flies in various size boxes. Using shoe glue to hold the straw pieces side by side into box, allowing space to insert and remove tubes. Glueing an earth magnet into top inner corner to hold hooks. I recently purchased an excellent case to glue thin straws that hold small flies. It is called “ArtBin” available at art supply store about $6.00 if my memory serves me correctly. It is green see through and is a thin profile. Another thing that I do is insert the tube fly into the straw backwards, so that the winging material of choice lays forward. I feel this puts a set in the material that assists the sway and pulsing movement (important to trigger strike) when used. Appreciating expressed thoughts & comments Thank you.
I save drink straws. The come in lots of colors and diameters,