Float Tube Fishing In Ireland

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Float Tube Fishing in Ireland

Having a really great time fishing from the world's best floating fishing platform

The Two Fly Rods Float Tube System

The best rod length for a tube fishing depends a lot on what line, what length of line and hook sizes you will be using. The lake you fish will dictate a lot of these points.

For tube fishing on the surface I use a ST 6 floater or intermediate shooting head (DT cut in half) with a no 2 floater level for shooting line.
The rod that does this best for me is a 10' 6" medium action.
It is soft enough that when netting a fish the rod is bent, and not the full length extends over me. A bit long but manageable. And it's long enough for dibbling droppers at short range to get them up.

From the tube dibbling at long range is not necessary because the trout will rise consistently closer to the tube than they will for boating anglers. It's also soft enough that small hooks will not be pulled out during playing big fish, due to excessive rod stiffness. but not unduly soft.
The typical medium price general purpose no 6 beginner 10' 6" rod has the action I describe at a low cost.
I CHANGE OVER AND BACK FROM FLOATER TO INTERMEDIATE DURING THE DAY MANY TIMES WITH NO APPRECIABLE DELAY LONGER THAN CHANGING A FLY. (OR SLOW SINK - FAST SINK)

A pair of fly rods for floating and sinking work

Float tube casting a fly for fish feeding along marginal reeds

Rods that are Suitable
For sub-surface fishing I use shooting heads ST wetcel 1, ST wetcel 11, and occasionally ST wetcel 111.
Line weight of the sinking STs is no 6 or 8. (An ST no 7 might be more general purpose)
The sinking heads are backed by dacron type braided 20 lb line which sinks but is neutral, that is - it does not lift or pull down the sinkrate of the selected ST in front of it.

The ST no 1 goes to 10 feet with two nymphs at normal retrieve speed.
The ST no 11 goes to 18-22 feet with the same, flies above or inline with the line. But can be adjusted by chosing a single weighted nymph to get the leader below the line.
The ST 111 is for 20 - 40 feet of water in clear conditions.
The rod that seems to suit these styles best is a 10' reservoir rod rated 7-8 or 7-9. A rod in 9' 6" would do just as well. This rod has to have backbone or you wont have crisp contact with the flies. But if it's a fast taper competition casting rod you will get tired maintaining casting velocity. So this action is maybe described as medium-fast.
I use an old Bruce & Walker Reservoir for this. Surprisingly I have not seen many new rods that would substitute easily. It is a tad heavy for smaller trout, but the sinking presentation is not for small trout.

Anyone who held an old glass RW Farnborough knows the action that is exactly right, but in a lighter carbon fibre rod. A modern medium-heavy reservoir comes close if graded tip-middle action.
The overall stiff strength makes a rod hard work over a full day, but the ability to bend in the middle mitigates this significantly. If you find it tough at first - use an elastic wrist strap around the rod handle below the reel to move the workload onto your forearm which won't get tired.

All my tubing lines have a 4-5" loop at their back end, and all backings have the same on the front. To change line it is a simple matter to retrieve the line to the point where I can swing the back of the ST to hand. Take the ST loop. Now pull on it until I also have the front too with a 15' loop (30' head doubled) downwind in the water. A slow finning speed keeps it all away and tangle free.

Perch on the Dropper Corixa

Hook on the leader and wind it fly-end first onto a large spool, rubber band the rear end, and pass the entire spool through the large backing loop to release it.
Take alternative ST on it's spool, pass spool through the backing loop to make two loops knot, roll off into the water. ( or just strip in the line at the reel in the conventional way to extend the new ST) Ready.
Time taken to switch from slow sink, to fast sink maybe 60 -90 seconds.
With this system two rods does everything.
No taking the reel off to change line, and someday dropping it overboard.
No problem threading rod rings awkwardly with A new line while out in the tube.
No rod for each line, just two. One softer longer rod for top and one shorter stronger rod for mid-bottom.

Fly Pike from Float Tube

The reason for selecting the ST no 6 (over lighter lines) when floating line fishing for trout is that it can penetrate wind on back-cast better, which helps avoid tangles while fishing a three fly leader. A no 5 is ok in calmer conditions, and I have the 5 rod too but don't choose it so often. I would end up fishing shorter leaders or fewer flies.

Brown Trout