Hi Matt,
That head should carry 1" Cu tubes no problem and once used to it, you should be able to chuck 1.25" without any issues too.
I have to agree with Hamish here (just choked on my fish finger sandwich), Gold Willie Gunn is my usual choice early season. I carry these only on Cu or brass tubes. Veniard Slipstream Cu tubes or Veniard super slim bottle tubes and I have a small number tied on very heavy standard brass bottle tubes with extensions. Only other thing I tend to use is a gold bodied cascade on slim brass bottles, these are usually used only in warmer water. With the early season stuff, in cold water use a relatively big fly regardless of water height and go heavier on the tube in higher water, a heavier tube will swim slower. Increasingly I am using Sunrays on Al tubes on a Skagit set up early season, partly because I get bored waiting for the fly to swim round and because I think some movement in the fly is better than a plainly swung fly at any time of the season.
Cheers
Ben
