SIGLER BILLFISH TUBE FLY

Sigler Billfish Tube Fly

I first heard of Cam Sigler in the early 90’s when I was managing the infamous D’Anglers Tackle Store on the Sunshine Coast. Back then we were all mad keen on catching a Billfish on fly and our mentor Rod “Harro” Harrison was at the forefront of the chase. He showed us all a Sailfish fly he’d brought back from a tackle show in the USA. This thing looked so pretty it didn’t really need to work for you, the anglers just wanted to buy it or wanted to copy it. But boy, work it did. Even today, if you look in any serious fly fisher’s Billfish wrap you’ll see a couple of copies, either rigged double or single.

An interesting thing that Cam said to me over a few shots of sour mash was the most important thing about Billfish on fly is the tease. Tease them properly and they’ll eat your shoe if you throw it at them. The Sigler Billfish Tube Fly is one of the most beautiful, and yet simple flies ever developed and the man who developed it is so modest he will not brag about the fly. He’s right of course, the tease is the trick but today’s fly tiers will tell you it’s the fly.

What made this fly so unique to us way back then was not only the interesting “T” Shaped Popper Head, but also the fact that we had never seen a tube fly before, let alone an articulated tube fly.

So who was Cam Sigler?

He was born on the west side of the Mississippi River in Plaquemine, Louisiana and like most addicted anglers/ outdoor people he grew up in in the midst of mother nature. For his whole life he followed his passion for fly fishing. He spent his early years as a bellhop in Florida working at night and feeding his passion during the day. It was here he began to learn all he could about the gear used in the outdoors, not just used in fly fishing but in all styles of fishing and hunting.

It was with this knowledge that he was to become one of the true pioneers of the tackle industry.

Have you heard of the Eddie Bauer Company? – a hard core outdoor equipment company, not your trendy outdoor fashion company. If you haven’t heard of the company maybe you’re too young.

The young staff who worked there spoke of Cam as “The Legend.”

I was put in contact with Cam Sigler by the late Billy Pate in ‘94 and I had the great privilege of actually meeting Cam & his son Cammy Junior in ’95 at their home on Vashon Island overlooking Puget Sound. I found him to be the most modest human being I had ever met in the tackle industry …. then and now. I had

heard all the stories about Cam’s exploits and yet he was so unassuming with absolutely no ego, something that seems to be lost in our Social Media age.

Cam & his family lived in a beautiful home, perched high up on the cliff overlooking Puget Sound and in his office I’ve seen a picture on the wall where Orcas are frolicking right in front of his office window. How amazing!

One afternoon Cammy Junior said “let’s go catch searun Cutthroat” …… right in front of the office would you believe it? It was one of the highlights of my life. I was able to return the favour in ‘97 by helping both Cam & Cam Junior catch their first Longtail Tuna here off the coast of Mooloolaba. Cammy’s fish was submitted as a world record. It was a real privilege and a fantastic learning experience to watch these two seasoned anglers fish ….. I certainly wasn’t their guide on that day, just the boat driver.

Cam Sigler manufactured several products for Orvis and other large manufacturing companies. Actually, nearly all major fly tackle companies have at one time or another, relied on Cam’s international sourcing connections and hence he earned a reputation as a “behind the scenes deal maker.”

Cam was also responsible for helping to bring such products as flats boats & breathable waders to the fly fishing market. This led to him setting up his own company and launching products under his own logo & name– Big Game Tube Flies, Heavy Tackle Saltwater Fly Rods, and Saltwater Fly Accessories.

The logo is a silhouette of an angler wearing a broadbrimmed hat fly casting, the silhouette was Cam Sigler. Not only did he run a very successful business, but his best mate and mentor was the great Joe Brooks. He had a life that gave him complet bragging rights, but he never bragged at all. Instead he preferred to stay out of the spotlight and do his own thing.

Cammy Junior took his father’s fly and made it suitable for all fish by making all different sized heads. Junior’s fly casts well, it’s easy to tie, looks awesome, and most of all has a depth of culture you cannot jump over.

So let’s tie one, I’ll do a smaller version of the larger original Sigler Sailfish Popper on a medium Sigler Popper Head. I have caught a wide variety of fish with this size, both in single and double hook form.

Gavin

Sigler Billfish Tube Fly

As tied by Capt. Gavin Platz

MATERIALS

Hard plastic tube, soft plastic tube

Thread – Flat waxed Nylon

Tube Tool – A Piece of wire coat hanger does the job, if you don’t have a Tube Tool

Tubes – I use acupuncture tubes but hydraulic tubing is also good

Hook Sleeve – Soft plastic tube to fit hard tube above NS hook used

Tail – Saddle hackles

Shoulders – Marabou

Flash – Mixture of Lateral Scale & Flashabou , colours to suit

Eyes – 3D Moulded Eyes

Epoxy – UV Epoxy.

Head – “T” Sigler Popper Head

Step 1 - cut a piece of a wire coat hanger and bend in an L shape as shown. Slightly bend the longer straighter leg. This will help in jamming the tube on.

Step 2 - cut hard plastic tube and soft plastic tube to size & secure soft plastic tube to hard tube with flat waxed Nylon as shown.

Step 3 - Position wire Tube Tool in vice and slide tube setup into place.

Step 4 - Attach thread to hard tube and tie in saddle hackles to suit fly size.

Step 5 - Tie in the mixture of flash doubled over thread for strength.

Step 6 - Tie in a generous shoulder of Marabou.

Step 7 - Create a well-shaped head with the flat waxed Nylon. Attach some eyes and finish with Epoxy.

Step 8 - Fit the Sigler Popper Head to the front of the finished fly.