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Patterns

The Barbell Tube

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A step by step tying of a tube fly created for steelhead in the north-west USA

By Steve Egge

I've been spending some time lately playing at the vise with some interesting bottle tubes.
Here is my latest. I like it because it shows how varied you can be with tube tying.
Tying behind the tube, on the tube body and in front of the tube. All the possibilities.
I also like the way there is lots of flash under the feathers, a light to darker progression from the back to front of the tube.

The junction tube with the liner allows me to use either an up or ring eye hook and have it snug in the liner or hanging back a bit in a kreh loop. (the liner will stop the knot from pulling up).

Barbell Tube

Type	Tube fly
Originator	Steve Egge
Year of origin	2008
Difficulty	Easy
Target species	Atlantic salmon (sea run) Steelhead (sea run)

Materials

Tube	Silver Barbell tube – 15mm
Junction tubing	Transparent Blue
Tying thread	Black
Butt	Blue Polar chenille tied over junction tubing
Mid	Blue Marabou tied in a dubbing loop
Front	Blue and Black Marabou blended and spun in a dubbing loop.
Hackle	Blue Doctor Lady Amherst spun in a dubbing loop
Collar	Blue Doctor Guinea
Cone	Blue Aluminum Cone bored out to fit over liner tube.

BTW … the vise used in tying is a Nor-Vise with the new Tube Conversion. The taper on the cone allows a junction tube to slip over it and hold things securely. You can also "unscrew the cone collet" and compress the tube between it and the bead to prevent twist and hold the tube securely (same mechanism as the Snowbee and the Renzetti).
I used the old tube conversion to hold the drill bit and make the hole bigger on the aluminum tube to fit over the liner tube. The vise is so smooth you can use it as a drill!

Thanks for looking.

Steve Egge
Puyallup, WA