| The Needle Tube, newly developed and manufactured in
Scotland by Grays of Kilsyth, is the thinnest plastic lined
metal tube available for fly tying, allowing the salmon and sea
trout fly tyer to create extremely slim bodied flies such as
this simple snake fly. The very fine stainless steel tube, with a diameter of only 1.5 mm, has
been left undressed to give a slim shiny silver body. A fly
dressed on a Needle Tube, while being much slimmer, lighter and
more easily cast than the traditional copper and brass tubes,
will fish deeper than a plastic or aluminium tube fly. A Needle
Tube fly is also more durable and more easily made than the more
complicated braided nylon snake fly.
Grays Needle Tubes are now available online in a range of
diameters and lengths.
How to tie the Needle Tube Snake
Materials
| A needle tube of 1.5 mm
diameter, 35 or 40mm long |
| Tying thread |
| Black, orange and red hair |
| A few strands of Crystal
Flash |
| Short length of clear
silicone |
| Hook of choice |
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Needle tubes |
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| 1. Insert needle tube in
Gray's Needle Tube Vice or pin vice. |
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| 2. Lay a short bed of tying thread at
the head an tie in a bunch of red and orange hair. |
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| 3. Add a few strands of Crystal
Flash. |
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| 4. Tie in some black hair. |
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| 5. Form a neat head and varnish. |
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| 6. Add a short length of clear silicone tubing,
1mm bore, and a hook of choice. |
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| For more information, or to buy
needle tubes, see
Grays
Needle Tubes |
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