Long tube
Sunray Shadow
SalmonShallow
Long black wing on a tube. Stripped back fast, it triggers a reaction take from otherwise disinterested fish. The same dressing rigs three ways — stripped sub-surface, swung mid-column, or hitched to wake.
Naturals it imitates
sandeel
silhouette of panic
Typical zone & fishable range
usually
Surface & waking
Shallow
Mid-depth
Deep
Setup sensitivity: high
How it sits in the water
Stripped fast on a floater it hangs just under the top; swung on a sunk tip it fishes through the mid-column; rigged with a half-hitch knot near the head it skates and wakes across the surface for low-light grilse.
How it's usually fished
- Stripped sub-surfaceShallowFloating line, fast strip — the reaction-take method that made the pattern famous.floating line2–3 inch tubetight loops, fast retrieve
- Swung mid-depthMid-depthSlow swing on a sink-tip through the body of the pool. Useful in cold or coloured water.sink-tip2–3 inch tubemoderate mending
- Hitched on the surfaceSurface & wakingHalf-hitch the leader off-centre; the tube skates across smooth pools. Best in low light and evening.floating line1–1.5 inch tube10–12lb fluorocarbon leader
Size by condition
| default range | 2–4 inch tube |
| low water | 1–2 inch tube on hitch |
| high water | 3–4 inch tube |
Similar flies
Included in packs
All-round swingHigh/cold water tubesSpate & high waterScottish summer hairwingsTweed & autumn spateWild-water tubesGrand Cascapedia — big waterLaxá — hitched tube & surface