| The Contented Angler "A Genuine Fly shop" |
| The Contented Angler Amy & Joe Gablick 724-337-0437 |
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| Denier is weight in grams of 9000 meters of thread. |
| Uni 6/0 When Uni came on the scene many thought they were using a stronger thread when it came to Uni 6/0, but you can see by the chart that you are using a thread that is twice the denier of Danville 6/0.Of course it is stronger and also heavier. The obvious thing would be to size thread by the denier, which some companies are starting to do. However, nothing is sized the obvious way when it comes to fly tying. We also have the choice of Polyester or Nylon thread. What are the advantages or disadvantages? Polyester - Polyester is known for its strength, durability, low shrinkage and low stretch. It has a high resistance to sunlight and moisture, provides you with a smooth texture surface and colorfastness. The stretch factor is one of the key differences between polyester and nylon threads. Nylon - Age can cause nylon thread to deteriorate; it can become brittle and break easily. Nylon has some stretch to it which most of us like. If a shop has thread exposed to the light and the air, try it before you buy it. Look for burrs in your bobbin. This is the most common probem when it comes to thread breakage. Size and Strength - 6/0 - The basic thread for most flies. I prefer it waxed. My preferred brand is Danville. If you flatten this thread you can get a head just as small as you would with 8/0 thread. A good underlayment for floss bodies when flattened. 8/0 - For smaller flies and midges to keep the head smaller. It takes more time to tie a streamer or bugger with this thread because of how long it takes to cover the hook. 3/0 - Same as monocord. Used for streamers, buggers and larger nymphs. Also good for egg flies and spinning deerhair. Good ribbing material. Danville 140 - This is becoming my favorite thread. it makes tying streamers and nymphs much quicker, holds dubbing well and flattens nicely. 210 Thread - Also known as Flat Waxed Nylon. This is a saltwater thread, but I use it quite often since it makes a great underbody for streamers and does it quickly. Tie a bugger with 140 or 210 and you will see how much quicker things go. Good ribbing material. Try tying some different colored strands of this in your wooly bugger tails. Monofilament Thread - Now my preferred thread for egg flies. It is surprisingly strong. Also used for saltwater flies as the color underneath will show through making the head the same color as the wing material used in the fly. Makes good midge pupae bodies and ribbing. Don't have any orange thread? You can color this any color you want with a marker! Choosing the proper thread for the job makes tying much easier and quicker. Try using monocord to tie off rabbit strips or v-rib instead of 6/0. You can flatten Danville 6/0 by spinning the bobbin counter-clockwise. You can then seperate the individual fillaments with a dubbing needle and insert dubbing. You can enable the thread to show through the dubbing by doing this, an old method that I still use today. If you overdo the spinning, you will weaken the thread. Watch someone with over 30 years of fly tying experience and you will notice many tricks and shortcuts with thread. Myself? I much prefer nylon thread. |