Alaskan salmon anglers requested “Glow-in-the-Dark” salmon tube flies. My response is this 4-inch squid pattern. On numerous party boat salmon trips there have been squid in the bellies of the salmon I have caught. Most flies and lures mimic baitfish, ignoring the squid that are so often present where salmon feed. The advantage of glow flies is really important when fishing at depths where light is faint or non-existent. I have used these flies to catch halibut 300’feet down off the coast of Alaska.

Glow materials hold light for a considerable length of time when exposed to bright sunshine. The UV component of sunlight is the activating light band. An alternative is to shine a UV light on the fly. Glow materials are UV reflective as well as UV holding. UV light penetrates well below other bands of light. At depth the UV is not strong but even a faint bit of light is attractive in a dark environment. I recommend adding Glow Beads between hook and tube as spacers to move the hook back to the end of the fly. These glow beads are also effective on the line ahead of the fly for visibility and to hold an Action Disc up the line.

This tube fly is weighted with a piece of lead along the bottom of the tube to make it ride top up. The weight also helps the fly sink if it is cast with a fly rod.