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UNI Products Fly Tiers Corner
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February 2025
Article and photos by Craig Riendeau
There’s been a big trend as of late, tying articulated fly patterns. Some of these flies work extremely well. The one thing they all have in common is the use of metal shanks to connect the segments. I found for my own tying that I did not care for the additional weight of the metal shanks in my fly’s tail section. I searched for a lighter material that is still reliably strong, and I believe that I found it. As with everything I do, it’s unconventional, but it’s readily available and cheap.
Check out your local pharmacy, toy store or even online for these. Look for Zuru Bunch O Balloons. They’re water balloons attached to a plastic tube for easy filling. These tube straws make perfect body segments for an articulated fly.
I have included pictures of a couple of my tube-ticulated creations. The Eggo, my Bass Worm or Ned rig fly and the Cut Bait, my swimming baitfish. These are just examples of what can be done. Today I’m just going to explain how to make the sections, you decide what to add to them.
These tubes can be found in a variety of colors such as pink, purple, blue, orange, white, red or yellow. If you’re lucky you can get the hard to find olive or clear. The diameter of these tubes is right in between the small and the large tube fly tubes you can get from the fly shops. They also have a slightly thinner wall diameter which melts better in the process I use them with.
So, here’s how to make you an articulated tube tail. Cut one tube from the bunch. They come in groups of thirty-five. Get a lighter and twist the tip of a tube through the flame to heat it evenly. You only have to do this for a second or two, then press the heated tube vertically onto a hard surface such as a tabletop. This should form a round collar on the end of the tube. Allow this to cool for a few seconds then lift it from the tabletop and cut about a half inch segment with the collar from the tube.
The longer you heat the tube, the larger collar you will create. I like to have ascending sizes of the collar with each segment I want to create. This will take a little practice to figure out how much time heating makes how large a collar, but the difference is literally seconds.
I usually have four or five segments in a tail but depending on what you are making, it could be more or less. Then I will have a shorter segment to attach a tail to at the rear and a longer connecting segment at the lead end. This is to attach the segmented tail to the hook.
I start with the tube segments at one half inch in length. I put these segments in a tube fly tool and tie on as much body as I feel I need. Cement the threads thoroughly then cut off the excess tubing creating a single segment to the tail. Repeat this with each segment.
For the tail end piece, I cut it shorter, one quarter to three- eight inch long. Cut an additional piece about as long as the diameter of the tubing itself. Cut a foot long piece of ten-pound test braided line. Thread the tiny cut off tubing onto the braid and double the braid over. Thread both ends of the braid through the tail piece from the side that does not have the collar. Apply a small amount of UV glue into the tail piece tubing. Use the braid to pull the tiny cut off into the tube body and use the UV light to harden the glue. To this you can attach any type of tail you like. I use a folded over piece of medium Crystal Skin to make my tails. I do Super Glue it on.
Take the longer connecting tube segment (which should be about hook shank length) and cut a channel down its length that is large enough to allow you to wrap the tube around the hook shank. Thread all the body segments onto the braid line. Thread the braid through the connecting tube segment. Place the connecting piece onto the back of the hook shank and lightly secure it. Adjust the length of the braid to get the correct limpness to the tail to allow it to swim properly. Tightly secure the tubing to the hook shank and finish the rest of the fly as you like. The possibilities of what you can make are endless. Give it a try.
