Tube Fly: Senyo's Steelhead Alley Stone Fly

Requested Tutorial; Stone fly nymph tube for Steelhead Alley

Here is a version of a stone fly nymph that I came up with last year while guiding for steelhead. The pattern finishes out at about 1-1/8 inches and is best fished solo under an indicator. Especially worked well late fall into winter drifted slowly through the deeper pools where steelhead prefer to hold during that time of year.

Step#1: Join a 3/4 inch of Eumers x-small tubing with a piece of 1/2 inch medium Tubing.

Step#2: Attach black 6/0 Uni thread and wind toward rear of tubing. Leave 1/8 inch of the tubing exposed.

Step#3: Attach 3 strands of Black Crystal Flash to each side of the medium tube. tails should be roughly 5/8 inch in length.

Step#4: Attach a 3 inch piece of small black vinyl or plastic ribbing.

Step#5: Wrap the body of the tube evenly with black vinyl ribbing.

Step#6: Attach a piece of metallic blue tinsel, this will create the wing case.( same stuff you get on a spool in silver or gold to make tinsel wrapped minnow bodies, like the body of a Mickey finn.) Second attach a sparse clump of black rabbit fur, so that the tips of the fur are no longer than the vinyl body and secure.

Step#7: Dub a BB sized thorax with Hare Line's Orange Ice Dubbing, Pull over the blue wing case and secure. Fold wing case material back toward rear you still need it.

Step#8: Apply another sparse amount of black rabbit fur and secure.

Step#9: Dub a second BB sized thorax of Orange Ice Dub, and pull wing case over the top and secure. You can cut of extra wing case material now.

Step#10: Attach a third sparse clump of black rabbit fur, and also attach 3 half inch pieces of black Crystal Flash to each side of the pattern.

Step#11: dub your last BB sized thorax and build a small thread head. Whip finish and apply a drop of super glue.

Final: Slide a small black or gun metal finished Eumer tube cone flush to the last thorax. Trim extra tubing in front of the cone, leaving just enough to melt and mushroom the tubing flush to the cone. Add a Diiachi x510 or equal to the rear of the tube..

Tube Fly: Senyo's Steelhead Alley Prince Nymph

Prince Nymph for Steelhead Alley

Everyone that fishes the "Alley" has caught a fish or two on the famous Prince nymph. Here is a tube version that I have kept under my hat and has served me well the past few seasons. The cone head gives this pattern just enough weight to get it down, and colors can be created easily and quickly while tying by changing the ribbing and cone head colors. YES! Tube flies are as effective and deadly under an indicator as their swinger counterparts, and give you the same great benefits that go along with tying on tubes.

Step#1: Marry a 1/2 piece of x-small Eumer tubing to a 3/8 piece of Eumer medium plastic tubing.

Step#2: Attach 6/0 black Uni thread at the junction point and wind toward rear of tubing. Leave 1/8 of rear medium tubing exposed.

Step#3: Attach 2 brown goose biots, one to each side of the medium tubing, and secure a single piece of magenta pink flash-A-Bou of the rear.(this will become your ribbing later)

Step#4: With Hare Lines Peacock Black Ice Dub create an even body all the way onto the x-small tubing.

Step#5: take the magenta Flash-A-Bou and evenly rib over the body.

Step#6: Take a sparse clump of Eumers brown opossum zonker fur, and tie in to for a collar. The fur should no longer in length than the body of the fly.

Step#7: Attach to white goose biots over the opossum fur as seen above.

Step#8: Add a small amount of Zap-A-Gap onto the thread head, and slide on one of Eumers hot pink small tube cone heads.

Final: Remove tube from pin and trim extra tubing in front of the cone. Make sure to leave enough tubing exposed to mushroom the tubing to the cone by melting it with a lighter. Add a Diiachi x510 or equal to the butt of the tube. This pattern finishes out to equal a #12 sized prince nymph.

Tube Fly: Senyo's Bead Fry

Requested Tutorial: The Sac Fry

Here is a step by step of a guide fly I like to use here for steelhead. Most sac fry are grayish in color and have a predominate silver eye. Colors can be chanced to match any fish species by simply changing the bead size and color, and the Finn Raccoon wing color.

Step #1: Take a 1/2 inch piece of Eumer medium plastic tubing and slide onto a piece of Eumer x-small tubing. Place a drop of super glue at the junction and slide on a 8mm orange plastic bead.

Step #2: Attach 6/0 red Uni thread in front of the orange bead.


Step #3: Attach a sparse amount of Hare Line Dubbin Inc. Pearl Ice Dub over the egg bead.

Step #4: Attach a sparse amount of Senyo's Gray Laser dub over the pearl Ice dubbing.

Step #5: Attach a small clump of Gray Finn Raccoon Hair ( Remove all long guard hairs before tying on.) Don't be afraid to build a red thread head! It will be used as the base to attach your eyes, and represents the patterns gills.

Step #6: Apply a thin coating of UV Knot Sense over the top and bottom of the eyes. Don't forget to add a little extra to the bottom onto the egg bead for the full yoke sac. a UV curing light is needed for this step, if you don't have one use 2 part epoxy as a substitution.

Final: Add a view light dots on the body and the tail with a black permanent Sharpie marker. Remove the tube and cut off excess x-small tubing, leaving just enough to mushroom the end with a lighter.

Add a Diiachi X510 #10 or equivalent hook size. This is a fast tie that allows you to fill your box rapidly in different colors and sizes, and spend more time fishing... This pattern works great for me on a tandem fly rig as the dropper to the Ice Man minnow.