11-15-2005, 12:49 AM
Most of my tube fishing is done with fly gear. I fish large and small lakes in Central and Western Oregon for trout. While I enjoy the many modifications done by the avid tubers on this site, I find that many of them are not as applicable to flyfishing. Rod holders sticking up or out, tool holders, and the many PVC additions only serve to give more opportunities to tangle the fly line. I had made a PVC angled rod holder for fly rods but have recently quit using it. Lately I've focused on scaling things back to fit the naturally smaller and lighter characteristics of flinging flies.
I carry only two rods - one with a floating line and one with an intermediate sinker (most of the lakes I fish are relatively shallow.) Lashing the extra rod to the tube (pre-strung but broken down) in a position that doesn't cause it to stick up or out is the best option I have found for the necessary streamlining that makes for smooth casting.
As for gear, everything is smaller for the flyfisher. Thus I carry all of my various tools (forceps, clippers, stomach pumps, thermometer, leaders and tippets, etc) in a small chest pack. All of my fly boxes and spare spools go into one of the pockets in the tube. I add a floating, soft bag net in the behind the seat stow of my FC4, along with a small tube anchor and I'm fairly well set. Sometimes I use the fish finder, sometimes not.
At the end of last summer I bought a BW Sports Chest Vest 1 to try with my flyrod tubing. It is a small, light, around the neck and around the middle pack that holds all of my necessary tools along with two medium sized Scientific Anglers fly boxes and, if I want to step out and fish along the shore, also a third large sized box. This has proven to be a real solution for me as it got rid of my overstuffed vest and allows me to fish comfortably in the tube. Since the fly boxes are easy to reach in the tube pockets, it doesn't make too much bulk on my chest. This helps when I'm caught in an Oregon downpour and need to close the front of my breathable rain jacket.
Occasionally I like to step out of the tube and fish certain areas from the shore. The BW Sports Chest Vest 1 doubles as an over the shoulder tackle bag for such occasions with only a few adjustments in the straps. Below are a couple of pictures of the Chest Vest in its two configurations. These pictures come from the website of the company so the guy in them is probably a professional clothing model.
![[Image: chestvest001.gif]](http://www.bwsports.com/images/chestvest001.gif)
![[Image: ChestVestI.gif]](http://www.bwsports.com/images/ChestVestI.gif)
![[Image: CHESTVEST-I-acc.gif]](http://www.bwsports.com/images/CHESTVEST-I-acc.gif)
I'd be interested to hear of the observations of other fly fishermen on this site and how you arrange/manage your tubes and gear.
zonker
[signature]
I carry only two rods - one with a floating line and one with an intermediate sinker (most of the lakes I fish are relatively shallow.) Lashing the extra rod to the tube (pre-strung but broken down) in a position that doesn't cause it to stick up or out is the best option I have found for the necessary streamlining that makes for smooth casting.
As for gear, everything is smaller for the flyfisher. Thus I carry all of my various tools (forceps, clippers, stomach pumps, thermometer, leaders and tippets, etc) in a small chest pack. All of my fly boxes and spare spools go into one of the pockets in the tube. I add a floating, soft bag net in the behind the seat stow of my FC4, along with a small tube anchor and I'm fairly well set. Sometimes I use the fish finder, sometimes not.
At the end of last summer I bought a BW Sports Chest Vest 1 to try with my flyrod tubing. It is a small, light, around the neck and around the middle pack that holds all of my necessary tools along with two medium sized Scientific Anglers fly boxes and, if I want to step out and fish along the shore, also a third large sized box. This has proven to be a real solution for me as it got rid of my overstuffed vest and allows me to fish comfortably in the tube. Since the fly boxes are easy to reach in the tube pockets, it doesn't make too much bulk on my chest. This helps when I'm caught in an Oregon downpour and need to close the front of my breathable rain jacket.
Occasionally I like to step out of the tube and fish certain areas from the shore. The BW Sports Chest Vest 1 doubles as an over the shoulder tackle bag for such occasions with only a few adjustments in the straps. Below are a couple of pictures of the Chest Vest in its two configurations. These pictures come from the website of the company so the guy in them is probably a professional clothing model.
I'd be interested to hear of the observations of other fly fishermen on this site and how you arrange/manage your tubes and gear.
zonker
[signature]