 |
* | Search | Catalog | Trips & Schools | Bargains | |
| Our Waters | Order Info | Steelheadquarters | Events | |||
Pro Tube Fly Tying Systems, Fly Fishing The West's Best Hatches, Deschutes River Steelhead Runs, Skagit Fly Fishing Lines |
 |
|
January 16, 2011
This program is for new tiers and experienced
tiers alike. |
|
Pro Tube Systems New Lower Prices Effective This Morning 01/10/11- You Just Got Lucky !!! |
||
 Flexitube |
 Flexi Weight |
 Hook Guide |
 Micro Tube |
 Drop Weights |
Cone Heads |
 Tying Needle |
||
 Pro Tube Fly Systems has created the most adaptable components for tying salmon and steelhead flies. |
||
|
Pro Tube Products equips the fly tier with a wide range of unique, exceptionally high quality parts for the construction of premium grade flies. These products are perfectly suited to the most modern salmon and steelhead flies. On this page is the beginning of the next revolution in salmon/steelhead fly design and fishing performance. |
| Pro Flexitubes are easy to use and are adaptable to many different fly styles. |
|
Pro Flexitube Finally there is a tying tube which comes with the hook holder attached (permanently). No more cutting and fitting different diameters of tubing together with messy, noxious smelly glues. These fly tying |
|
|||
| tubes are stepped with the hook holder built in. The thinner tube at the front will accept Drop Weights and Flexi Weights as well as HMH 3/32" ID Cone Heads. Flexitubes are 80mm (3 1/8") long and can be trimmed and customized into many different configurations. 14 Per Pack | ||||
 |
||||
| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 10100301 | Pro Flexitube 40x40mm | Clear | $4.95 | |
| 10100302 | Pro Flexitube 40x40mm | Black | $4.95 | |
| 10100306 | Pro Flexitube 40x40mm | Orange | $4.95 | |
| 10100308 | Pro Flexitube 40x40mm | Cyan Blue | $4.95 | |
| 10100312 | Pro Flexitube 40x40mm | Pink | $4.95 | |
| The Adaptable Tube Pro Flexitubes can be easily trimmed to any length with a razor blade or scissors. Cut ends may be flamed to smooth edges. Pro Flexitubes have 40mm of each diameter, 80mm total (3 1/8" overall). |
Practical tying lengths for Pro Flexitubes are from 1/2" to 3". |
 Hard rain turned the river off-color and the steelhead turned dour. This simple Fluorescent Red & Orange Bunny Leech fly was tied in camp in less than five minutes using an orange Pro Flexi Tube and materials from the portable fly tying kit |
 The Flexitube that this fly is tied on was trimmed to 1 3/8". A TMC105, #4 hook was added for a perfect fit. The fly was combed to separate the fibers for more action in the water. |
 The next morning a couple of steelhead were landed using the "camp fly". The fly wasn't pretty, but it was effective. |
|
Pro Flexi Weight These weighted sleeves integrate with both the Pro Flexitube and Pro Micro Tube systems. A Flexi Weight can be added to a fly near the front, middle, or rear of the tying tube to change how the fly will ride in the water. Other tying materials can be added behind, in front of, or over the top of these tubes for many effects. Flexi Tubes are very finely finished, and very easy to use. They help add weight to your fly without adding bulk. |
|
|||
 |
||||
| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 10200198 | Pro Flexi Weight, 5mm,
12 per pack |
Silver | $4.95 | |
| 10200298 | Pro Flexi Weight 10mm, 1- per pack |
Silver | $4.95 | |
| 10200498 | Pro Flexi Weight 20mm, 10 per pack |
Silver | $4.95 | |
| Pro Drop Weights | ||||
 |
||||
| These beautifully finished chrome plated brass weights allow a tier to customize both the weight and balance of any fly while they are tying it. These weights can be added at any point in the fly, including in front like a cone head. The blunt large end of each tapered weight is designed to buttress the base of a hackle and/or wing assembly to help it resist the flow of the water. This allows the fly to retain a larger diameter when wet. Drop Weights can be added to flies in single or multiple-weight configurations. Drop Weights can be used in conjunction with Flexiweights and/or Cone Heads. | ||||
 |
||||
| We call this fly the Scandi Squid because it represents a squid, and is tied in a traditional Scandinavian tube fly style. Notice the Jungle Cock Eyes are at the rear of the fly. This pattern uses a large Drop Weight between the dubbed body and the wing/hackle assembly. This allows the fly to fish deeper and helps to retain its frontal swell when fishing in strong currents. The wing is a mixture of Finn Coon and Angel Hair. A Daiichi X-Point Saltwater Hook has been added. The opening of the hook holder has been reduced slightly with heat. We don't recommend that you do this in most cases, only when using hooks constructed with very small eyes. | ||||
| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 10200798 | Pro Drop Weights 4mm, 10 per pack |
Silver | $4.95 | |
| 10200898 | Pro Drop Weights 6mm, 10 per pack |
Silver | $4.95 | |
| 10200898 | Pro Drop Weights 8mm, 9 per pack |
Silver | $4.95 | |
|
HMH Cone Heads For Pro Tubes |
 This fly employs a Cone Head and an Owner Fly Liner Hook. |
| A fly that employs a cone head for weight is streamlined and comparatively easy to cast. Usually these flies will sink slightly faster than the fastest sinking fly line. This is a distinct advantage when fishing for salmon and steelhead holding deep in cold water. Cone heads are easy to tie with and can be added to a tube fly either before or after the rest of the fly is constructed. |
|
Melt the front of a plastic tube so that it swells
and holds the cone in place. These "large bore" cones
fit over several types of tubing. Temple Dog style flies take
on very seductive actions when front weighted with a heavy cone.
Saltwater squid and minnow imitations also assume "duck & dive"
actions when tied with these cones. These 1/4" OD brass cone heads
fit all Pro Tubes. |
 |
|||
| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 70111 | HMH Cone Heads, Brass | Medium 3/32" ID |
$6.50 | |
| 70121 | HMH Cone Heads, black | Medium 3/32" ID |
$6.50 | |
| 70131 | HMH Cone Heads, nickel | Medium 3/32" ID |
$6.50 | |
| Pro Micro Tube The Foundation of The Adaptable Tube Fly |
 |
| The Pro Microtube is the foundation of a totally new concept in tube fly tying, which allows every tier more artistic freedom than ever before! With the addition of a Pro Hook Guide, a Pro Micro Tube achieves a number of desirable features. The tube is very small in diameter so that you can construct flies that are very streamlined and very easy to cast, but which keeps the hook connected to the fly in a very secure fashion for a minimum of tangles. These tubes can be trimmed to any length to suit your needs. Very small flies to very large flies can be tied on these tubes. |
 |
|
Converting traditional bucktail style fly patterns to tube flies has
never been easier. The traditional steelhead bucktail fly configuration
has been standardized over the past fifty years. Most have a two-tone
body, a wet fly style hackle and a wing made from hair slanted back over
the top. The only basic difference between flies are the colors used in
their construction. Now you can carry a small box of flies and have
possibly a hundred different color combinations to match any fishing
situation you might encounter, simply by changing the hook-holder
colors. Cone-Heads, Pro Drop Weights and Pro Flexi Weights can be added to Pro Microtubes. This system renders the advantage of being able to to tie the exact same fly in several weights, so that you can fish at the exact depth you want. 12 per pack. |
||||
| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 10100502 | Pro Micro Tube | Black | $4.95 | |
| 10100504 | Pro Micro Tube | Hot Green | $4.95 | |
| 10100506 | Pro Micro Tube | Hot Orange | $4.95 | |
|
Pro Hook Guide These soft silicone hook holders are tapered so that they can hold a wide variety of hooks securely to your fly. 12 per package |
|
|||
| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 10300201 | Pro Hook Guide Medium |
Clear | $4.95 | |
| 10300203 | Pro Hook Guide Medium |
Fluorescent Yellow | $4.95 | |
| 10300204 | Pro Hook Guide Medium |
Fluorescent Green | $4.95 | |
| 10300205 | Pro Hook Guide Medium |
Fluorescent Red | $4.95 | |
| 10300206 | Pro Hook Guide Medium |
Fluorescent Orange | $4.95 | |
| 10300301 | Pro Hook Guide Small, 13 mm |
Clear | $4.95 | |
| 10300303 | Pro Hook Guide Small, 13 mm |
Fluorescent Yellow | $4.95 | |
| 10300304 | Pro Hook Guide Small, 13 mm |
Fluorescent Green | $4.95 | |
| 10300305 | Pro Hook Guide Small |
Fluorescent Red | $4.95 | |
| 10300306 | Pro Hook Guide Small, 13 mm |
Fluorescent Orange | $4.95 | |
| Pro Tying Needle | ||||
|
|
||||
| 2mm X 110mm tempered steel needle acts as a mandrel on which to tie Pro Tubes, fits any tying vise, and holds tubes securely, well tempered and durable. | ||||
| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 10400198 | Pro Flexi Tying Needle | 2mm X 110mm | $14.95 | |
|
Fishing The West's Best
Hatches |
|||
 |
|||
|
What: 3 evenings with Rick Hafele
discussing how to fish the West’s best hatches. |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Want a head start in 2011 by getting prepared to fish the best
hatches found throughout the West? Then sign up for this workshop by
the well known fly fishing author, instructor, and aquatic
entomologist Rick Hafele. The class will cover patterns and tactics,
plus insect and trout behavior for the most important hatches of
mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies, and a few others! To provide
the best opportunity to cover this topic, the workshop will be held
one night a week for three weeks, with each evening running about
one and half hours long. With this format participants will have
time to digest the wealth of information provided in each class and
time to ask plenty of questions. Some of the key questions addressed in the workshop will include: What stages of the hatch do trout target - when and why? What patterns best match the different stages of mayfly, stonefly, and caddisfly hatches? How should you fish nymphs, emergers, and dries for the most important western hatches? What are the key mistakes most anglers make? What triggers the timing of hatches and when do key hatches occur? The presentations at these workshops will include PowerPoint projections, open fly boxes, etc. |
|||
| Item | Description | Price | To Top |
| HATCHES-11 | Fishing The West's Best Hatches Classes, 3 evenings with Rick Hafele discussing how to fish the West’s best hatches, at The Fly Fishing Shop - March 28, April 05, April 12 |
Per Student $75 |
|
|
Skagit/ology
Revised For 2011
George Cook/Ryan S. Petzold |
 |
| Over 5 years have passed since the introduction of the vaunted Skagit Line. However, despite its effectiveness and popularity, misconception, confusion and lack of overall clarity of the use of Skagit Lines remains. The following is a short but specific conversation regarding the history and usage of the various Skagit lines in the Worldwide spey fishing theater. |
|
History: Beginning in the 1990’s many of today’s most
recognizable spey authorities independently where developing Skagit type
lines. Noted casters and anglers
such as Ed Ward, Mike Kinney, Scott O’Donnell, Scott Howell. Mike McCune,
Jerry French and the legendary Harry Lemire among others were at the
forefront of the Skagit revolution.
Along the banks of Northwest rivers coupled with late nights in the depths
of fly tying rooms of the Pacific Northwest the chop-shop artist and line
theologists were hard at work developing what would become today’s Skagit
Lines. Some would cut and splice
their way, others would utilize bumped up WindCutter bodies to perfect the
craft. The shorter belly approach
was underway. The day had come to
maximize the spey rod for winter conditions with large outsized flies.
The use of Northwest hybrid and Skagit Casts such as the Snap Tee,
Perry Poke, Snap Z and Wombat lent themselves to the shorter belly approach.
Today the Skagit line approach is “the” approach to sinking line
endeavors worldwide. Be it Kings in
Alaska to Sea Run Browns of the Rio Grande from the Umpqua to the Babine and
all points in between. The Skagit
Line has become the omnipresent tool.
Originally developed purely as a sink tip line, the Skagit line also
can be an effective full floating line particularly on 12’ to 13’9” rods.
To be sure the spey caster will endure a greater level of stripping
of line to recast (applies to all Skagit lines versus long belly lines) but
the reward is an undeniable highly energized long and straight cast. Types- The original Rio Skagit Line worked from a 27’ body that still today serves as the basic Skagit Spey approach. In 2009, the Skagit Short came onboard providing an ideal line for switch rods as well as shorter spey rods in the 12-13’ range. These lines are specialized shorter 20’ Skagit lines. Often times the Skagit Short serves the ardent spey caster well in strategic tight corridor situations often found in such steelhead haunts as the Oregon Coast, Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island. Fall 2009 witnessed the arrival of the Skagit Flight head: The Skagit Flight redefines the Skagit Line concept with a new focused entry. The Flight comes in 25 grain increments from 350 to 700 grains with one last 50 grain jump to 750. These lines feature a taper that produces outrageous line speed coupled with tight loops. The head features expediential length from 22’-31’. These new lines have you covered whether you are a rank beginner or seasoned expert. It might also be noted that the Cheater concept as an add-on piece is not required nor needed with the new Skagit Flight lines. |
| Usage- Specific Skagit Line size (grain weight) match-ups come with a degree of variability coupled with angler opinion. Line speed versus load, moderate versus fast action all add up to a witch’s brew of variables that must be fleshed out on any given rod regardless of manufacturer. The great casters often find themselves 25 to 100 grains apart on any given rod. In the end the angler must boil it down and get the details. Often, the “bump up weight” theorem coincides with a naked (no cheater) approach. In the end, one must discern the details before going forward. All in all, most spey rods 12’ to 15’ in length will have as many as three different Skagit Lines that will work. For example, the 7126-4 aka ‘The Deathstar” can work with a Skagit Flight in 525, 550 and 575. The 525 offers the line speed choice while the 575 offers the max load choice, the 550 most certainly can be used but does seem to fall into a funky middle ground spot. Generally, one will be ideal. To discover this the angler must seek out opinion within the spey community, through a guide, angling buddies, factory rep or retail representative. |
| Skagit Cheaters- the demand for shorter belly lines growing in popularity, here is a tool that allows the spey enthusiast the ability to completely dial in their Skagit Line (longer). Essentially the Cheater theory allows the customization of a Skagit Line pursuant to the given length of rod. Generally, spey rods 11-13’8” feet will utilize no cheater “naked”, although it should be noted that 13 to 13’9” rods may possibly work well with a 2.5 foot Cheater. Rods 13’9”-16 feet will utilize a 5 foot cheater. |
| Skagit Short Lines- Ideal for switch rods in the 10’6” to 11’9”range along with application for shorter spey rods in the 12’ to 13’ range, 8 weight and under. These are specialized shorter 20’ Skagit lines. These lines are also perfectly at home on 9 to 10 foot single handed rods in a single hand spey approach. New 2011 Skagit Shorts: 575 and 625. |
| Skagit Flight Line- The Skagit Flight redefines the Skagit Line concept with a new focused entry. The Flight comes in 25 grain increments from 350 to 700 grains with one last 50 grain jump to 750. These lines feature a taper that produces outrageous line speed coupled with tight loops. The head features expediential length from 22’-31’. These new lines have you covered whether you are a rank beginner or seasoned expert. It might also be noted that the Cheater concept as an add-on piece is not required nor needed with the new Skagit Flight lines. |
|
Building a la carte Skagit Floating Lines- The Skagit line as a floating line is both an
effective and elegant match up particularly on 12’ to 13’9” spey rods. The a
la carte construction for a full floating line works as follows; Skagit Flight 550 as an example (25.5 feet) with a 8/9/10 Skagit
Floating Tip or a 10’ Floating Medium M.O.W. tip . This format gives you a complete VersiTip approach with your Skagit
line. It should be noted that with
the new Skagit Flight heads, that based on their “dialed-in” length pursuant
to expected (length) rod use that the use of a 5’ Cheater is not needed nor
desired in the a la carte floating line approach. No doubt spey casting has more opinion out there than any other sport other than maybe Archery. In this, one thing remains true to form. Sink tip lines in conjunction with intruder type flies get free flight lessons long and straight with the Skagit taper line. Floating line enthusiasts upon acceptance of extra line strip will enjoy the benefit of highly energized long straight casts with dries and summer patterns as well. George Cook / July 10 |
|
Composition Of
The Deschutes River Steelhead Runs |
 |
|
We love the Deschutes River and spend a lot of time fishing steelhead there.
We are often asked about specific details concerning the rivers that we
fish. One of the questions that continually comes up is how many steelhead
we catch from the Deschutes River, and how many are hatchery and how many
are wild. The catch varies from year to year with run size, water
conditions, competition from other anglers and client skill. For the thirty
years that we have been fishing the Deschutes as professional guides, our
catch has been approximately 50% wild steelhead and 50% hatchery steelhead.
Individual weeks on the river may be favor one type of fish over the other,
and run timing and catch rate per individual week may vary widely from year
to year. The information below has been compiled by Oregon Department Of Fish And Wildlife. It is their best estimate of the run sizes and composition since 1977. |
| Estimated number of steelhead that migrated past Sherars Falls, by run year. |
|
Run
Year |
Wild |
Round
Butte Hatchery |
Stray
Hatchery |
Total
Hatchery |
|
1977-78 |
6,600 |
6,100 |
900 |
7,000 |
|
1978-79 |
2,800 |
3,200 |
300 |
3,500 |
|
1979-80 |
4,200 |
5,400 |
600 |
6,000 |
|
1980-81 |
4,100 |
5,500 |
500 a/ |
6,000 |
|
1981-82 |
6,900 |
3,800 |
1,200 a/ |
5,000 |
|
1982-83 |
6,567 |
3,524 |
1,249 a/ |
4,773 |
|
1983-84 |
8,228 b/ |
7,250 |
7,684 a/ |
15,443 |
|
1984-85 |
7,721 b/ |
7,563 |
3,824 a/ |
11,770 |
|
1985-86 |
9,624 b/ |
7,382 |
5,056 c/ |
12,106 |
|
1986-87 |
6,207 b/ |
9,064 |
9,803 c/ |
18,358 |
|
1987-88 |
5,367 b/ |
9,209 |
8,367 |
17,623 |
|
1988-89 |
3,546 |
3,849 |
2,909 |
6,336 |
|
1989-90 |
4,278 |
2,758 |
3,659 |
6,504 |
|
1990-91 |
3,653 |
1,990 |
2,852 |
4,786 |
|
1991-92 |
4,826 |
3,778 |
8,409 |
11,859 |
|
1992-93 |
904 |
2,539 |
4,261 |
6,008 |
|
1993-94 |
1,487 |
1,159 |
4,293 |
5,476 |
|
1994-95 |
482 |
1,781 |
4,391 |
6,126 |
|
1995-96 |
1,662 |
2,708 |
11,855 |
12,828 |
|
1996-97 |
3,458 |
5,932 |
23,618 |
28,416 |
|
1997-98 |
1,820 |
5,042 |
17,703 |
22,511 |
|
1998-99 |
3,800 |
3,527 |
11,110 |
15,120 |
|
1999-2000 |
4,790 |
2,628 |
13,785 |
15,219 |
|
2000-2001 |
8,985 |
4,380 |
15,072 |
19,310 |
|
2001-2002 |
8,749 |
9,373 |
25,263 |
31,784 |
|
2002-2003 |
9,363 |
8,880 |
15,203 |
23,004 |
|
2003-2004 |
5,524 |
5,265 |
6,543 |
11,551 |
|
2004-2005 |
3,161 |
4,354 |
4,972 |
9,356 |
|
2005-2006 |
3,432 |
5,868 |
4,838 |
10,497 |
|
2006-2007 |
3,986 |
6,589 |
19,189 |
25,945 |
|
2007-2008 |
3,482 |
6,120 |
7,929 |
15,641 |
|
2008-2009 |
4,048 |
5,497 |
9,498 |
16,038 |
|
2009-2010 |
4,236 |
9,557 |
15,768 |
25,587 |
|
a/ May include some AD CWT marked steelhead that originated from Warm Springs NFH although few of these ever returned to that facility. b/ May include some unmarked hatchery steelhead out planted as fry into the Warm spring River from Warm Springs NFH. c/ May include adults from a release of 13,000 smolts from Round Butte Hatchery that were accidentally marked with the same fin clip as steelhead released from other Columbia basin hatcheries. |
The Fly Fishing Shop, Welches, OR
1(800)
266-3971
Fish long & prosper,
Mark & Patty
