Fly Tying Tubes
Grays Needle Tubes
slim
stainless steel tubes for making tube flies for salmon,
steelhead and sea trout
Developed and made in Scotland by Grays of
Kilsyth, using very fine stainless steel tubing, the
type used in the manufacture of hypodermic needles,
Gray's Needle Tubes are the finest plastic lined metal
tubes available for fly tying.
Now
available
in our
ONLINE FLY SHOP
Read about the
International success of our new
Needle Tubes
Gray's Needle Tubes were
introduced for the start of the 2008
fishing season. Made using
very fine stainless steel tubing, the
type used in the manufacture of
hypodermic needles. Our 1.5 range of
Needle Tubes are the thinnest plastic
lined metal tubes available for fly
tying, having an outside diameter of
1.5 mm and an inside diameter of
approximately 0.40 mm, allowing the use
of leader materials, such as Maxima, in
breaking strains up to a maximum of 15
lb nylon.
The new 1.5 range of Needle Tubes, made in Scotland by Grays of
Kilsyth, is now available
in our
online shop
in the following lengths: 10mm, 15mm, 20 mm, 25 mm,
30 mm,
35 mm and 40 mm
The 1.5 mm Range
The finest range of needle tubes have an
outside diameter of 1.5 mm and an inside diameter of
about 0.40 mm If using a small bore (1.0 mm) silicone
hook link to retain the hook,
leaders of up to about
15 pounds
(7kg) breaking strain are recommended. The 1.5 range is
available in lengths of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 mm
..............
more
The 1.8 mm Range
Still much thinner than
traditional aluminium and copper tubes, these have an
outside diameter of 1.8 mm and inside diameter of 0.60
mm, which can accommodate nylon leaders of 30 pounds or
more. If using a small bore (1.5
mm) silicone or PVC hook link, leaders of
up to a
maximum of 20 pounds are
recommended. The 1.8 range is available in lengths of
10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 mm ......
more
Both the 1.5 and 1.8 ranges
are
available
in our ONLINE
FLY SHOP
Being made from fine polished stainless steel, the kind
used in the making of hypodermic needles,
needle tube
flies sink more readily than plastic or aluminium tube
flies but fish a little less deeply, and perhaps more
attractively, than the heavier
copper and brass tubes. Needle
Tube Flies compare in weight and
profile to flies dressed on Waddington
shanks, but with the important benefit that the hook is
easily changed on the needle tube fly. Needle tubes are
also much easier to dress than Waddington or snake
lures.
8 pound steelhead
taken by Bob Schoeller from Lake Erie on a Needle Tube
Fly Fly Fishing & Fly Tying Magazine Review
In his
recent review of August 2011
Magnus Angus wrote of Gray's
Needle Tubes:
...
slender, gleaming tubes; utterly
functional and very tempting!
... these are extraordinary in a
couple of ways - slimmer than
any straight tubes I have seen
for sale - stainless steel which
is both hard to find and hard to
cut.
...
flies tied on these tubes are
not like heavy bulky
conventional tubes, these are
light and sleek, cast easily and
can be controlled by a sink-tip
or poly-leader. Want to fish
deeper - use a faster
sinking line. In other words
these are modern tubes for
modern fishing techniques which
emphasise easier casting and
employ sophisticated modern
fly-lines to determine fishing
depth.
As a fly tyer
the proportion, neatness and
finish of these tubes and the
neat finish I can achieve on
them appeals directly to the
satisfaction I get from fly
tying. And stainless steel tubes
are about as tough as fly tying
tubes get - so my carefully tied
flies should fish a little
longer. Then as an angler, the
slimness of these tubes makes me
think of clear water and sea
trout. The shorter tubes seem
ideal for those wee speck-like
flies for low flows, longer
tubes for faster water or
fishing into the dark ..."
Needle Tubes
Gray's Needle Tubes are made using
very fine stainless steel tubing, the
type used in the manufacture of
hypodermic needles. Our Needle Tubes are
the thinnest plastic lined metal tubes
available for fly tying. We have now
added a second range of Needle tubes.
The new tubes have an outside diameter
of 1.8 mm, and inside diameter of 0.60
mm, allowing the use of leaders of 30
pounds breaking strain or more, but if
using a silicone or PVC extension (bore
1.5mm) to retain the hook and knot, a
maximum of 20 lb nylon is
recommended. The
1.8 range of Needle Tubes, made in
Scotland by Grays of Kilsyth, are now
available in our
online shop
in the following lengths: 10mm, 15 mm, 20 mm,
25 mm, 30 mm and 35 mm
Copper tube and a Needle Tube
Gray's Needle Tubes are much
finer than traditional tubes
.
One of eight Spey sea trout taken in two
hours fishing on a simple black and silver Needle Tube Fly,
23rd June 2014 Dressing Gray's Needle Tubes
To dress the
needle tubes, the tube should be secured in
suitable
Tube Fly Vice
The fly tube
body may be dressed in the normal way or left undressed to give
a simple, very slim silver fly body, as shown in the examples
below.
A short
length of silicone tubing is then used to connect a hook of
appropriate size, treble, double or single. If a fly
longer than 40 mm is required, two needle fly tubes may be joined in tandem
by a length of the silicone tubing provided to produce a fly of
anything up to 8 cms in length.
Grays Needle
Tubes can be dressed to create a range of flies, from a short
and very slim micro tube of only 10 mm in length, perhaps for
summer grilse in a low water, through the whole range of 15, 20,
25, 30, 35 and 40 mm tubes, dressed for salmon fishing
throughout the season.
The longer tubes, or a pair of tubes
linked in series, dressed sparsely, make very attractive sea
trout lures, more easily dressed, and just as slim as the
popular sea trout snake fly for late night sea trout fishing.
Being made
from fine polished stainless steel, the kind used in the making
of hypodermic needles, needle tube flies sink more readily than
plastic or aluminium tube flies but fish a little higher, and
more attractively, than the heavier copper and brass tubes.
Needle Tube Flies would have a comparable sink rate and similar
slim profile to flies dressed previously on Waddington shanks,
but with the important benefit that the hook is easily changed
on the needle tube fly. Needle tubes are also much easier to
dress than Waddington or snake lures.
The new 1.8 mm range
of Gray's Needle Tubes adds to the options created by our
1.5 mm original needle tube range, allowing the salmon fly tyer
to make tube flies in lengths from 10 mm up to 40 mm (tube
length). Since the new tubes have an internal diameter of 0.60
mm, they can accept leaders of 30 lbs breaking strain nylon or
more, and can be used for larger fish, such as salmon, steelhead
and sea trout, in heavier water. However, if using a small bore
(1.5mm) silicone or PVC extension tube to retain the hook and
knot, a maximum of around 20 lb nylon is recommended. I would
also recommend a knot which results in the tag end pointing to
the rear of the hook, e.g. the Trilene Knot. This makes it
easier to insert the hook eye and knot into the silicone sleeve.
A
Cascade dressed on Gray's Needle
Tubes
Buy Now
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More from Grays of Kilsyth
Illustrated below are some of the needle tubes and tube
flies; trout, salmon and sea trout flies; spinheads; fly
tying accessories, some of them unique and available online
only from Grays of Kilsyth, e.g. our ultra-slim stainless
steel fly tying Needle Tubes and Needle Tube Flies.
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Quick Product Links
Our Needle Tubes and boxed selections of
trout, sea trout and salmon flies are available in our
online fly shop with free UK delivery on all orders
over £60. All online
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first class post within the UK (which often means next day delivery for
orders placed early in the day) and by airmail to international destinations.
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