thread

[jabink84]

is there a difference between stuff you buy and stuff for sewing? i honestly havent ever thought of it till now. My mother is getting rid of her vast supply of sewing stuff and i could fill a 5 gallon bucket of just thread.

 

[sandfly]

do not use sewing thread for tying its to weak and will break. yes there is a huge difference.

 

[jabink84]

thats what i wanted to know. thank you.

 

[JackM]

They make sewing thread in all materials. I think tying thread is either silk, 100% nylon or a combination of the two. I do think you can use a proper thread from another application, but most sewing thread contains cotton, which is not a strong as a strand as synthetics.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Most sewing threads are far too thick to use for typical fly tying. That said, there are a multitude of things it can be used for, such as ribbing, building bodies on flies, etc.

There's no substitute for good quality tying threads. Here's a nice article on thread that you may find useful:

Choosing the Right Thread

 

[whheff]

Great read H-A.
I always learn somthing on PAFF.

 

[JohnnyUtah]

Id take all of it. You can make midge with it. I use sewing threads for midges all the time. Its great stuff. Nice link Ed.

 

[gentleshepherd]

I have been using standard thread to tie Tenkara Style Flies since they are very basic - usually thread and 1-2 turns of hackle.

I also use some thread as ribbing and have already waxed some for other flies, I usually use Beeswax as you can run thread through it without tearing up the wax too bad.

 

[beadhead2]

jabink84
In Midge Magic by Don Holbrook & Ed Koch ,he ties some midges with Coats&Clarke sewing thread
See if any of your friends have the book or check the library
One of my friends on this forum ,ties midges with the C&C thread and catches fish with them
Here is alink to the book on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Midge-Magic-Don-Holbrook/dp/0811709965/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324735080&sr=1-1#_

 

[JackM]

To reiterate, thread is thread and it is all about two things: what is it made of and how is it woven or spun? Flying tying thread is thread that is made of the right material and weave for fly tying. It wasn't "invented" for fly fishing, just selected from the universe of various threads in the market and marketed directly to fly tyers.

Since I am lucky to use a spool of thread a year, I pay for the stuff known as fly tying thread because buying a skein of 8/0 nylon thread in olive would be a bit of overkill.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

I go though alotta thread and never thought that buy thread was such a finanical burden. Even when I get 2 fly outta a spool of G.S.P.. It really dont bother me.

 

[JackM]

Really? What are you tying down so tight? I use about 6-8 inches of thread for a size 12-14 fly. On a size 16 or smaller, probably 4-6 inches.

 

[Foxgap239]

Great link Ed. Thanks a lot!

 

[Foxgap239]

beadhead2 wrote:
jabink84
In Midge Magic by Don Holbrook & Ed Koch ,he ties some midges with Coats&Clarke sewing thread
See if any of your friends have the book or check the library
One of my friends on this forum ,ties midges with the C&C thread and catches fish with them
Here is alink to the book on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Midge-Magic-Don-Holbrook/dp/0811709965/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324735080&sr=1-1#_

That is exactly what JU was talking about. I have tied some of these flies and they work well. It can also be used for very realistic legs. Lloyd Gonzales has some really cool uses in his book. I wouldn't throw any of it out.

 

[Foxgap239]

JackM wrote:
Really? What are you tying down so tight? I use about 6-8 inches of thread for a size 12-14 fly. On a size 16 or smaller, probably 4-6 inches.

Jack, you really do need to do more fishing if you know how much thread you use on your flies! Just teasing. LOL

 

[afishinado]

Foxgap239 wrote:

JackM wrote:
Really? What are you tying down so tight? I use about 6-8 inches of thread for a size 12-14 fly. On a size 16 or smaller, probably 4-6 inches.

Jack, you really do need to do more fishing if you know how much thread you use on your flies! Just teasing. LOL

FG,

I believe Jack measures out the thread, calculates the cost per inch, and quits tying when his budget is depleted.

He does the same thing with tippet material when he fishes. We were in the middle of a great hatch when he broke off a fish. He retired to the bank and broke down his rod. I asked him why he quit, and he relied to me, "I only had 7 yards of tippet budgeted for this trip." !!! :-o

 

[Foxgap239]

afishinado wrote:
[FG,

I believe Jack measures out the thread, calculates the cost per inch, and quits tying when his budget is depleted.

He does the same thing with tippet material when he fishes. We were in the middle of a great hatch when he broke off a fish. He retired to the bank and broke down his rod. I asked him why he quit, and he relied to me, "I only had 7 yards of tippet budgeted for this trip." !!! :-o

Yikes, I budget at least 10 yards every trip! Have to plan for contingencies!

 

[JackM]

It was a guess, but I think a pretty accurate one. I haven't tied a fly in months either.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

For my bigger bucktail streamers. Thats before I found the uni big fly thread. Its a little easier on the wallet.

 

[Ramcatt]

14/0
8/0
those are really all i need