Thread and more thread

[deepcreek]

I basically tie quick effective guide flies ( like in basic and not necessarily pretty) and have always used uni thread. Any opinions on the various thread products in todays market.

[Longs for Cutts]

Montana fly company is thinner for the "ought" and also stronger. It's probably 2/3-3/4 the diameter and 50% stronger than the Uni equivalent. It is replacing Uni wholesale as I use up my stock.

[Jack Hise]

Uni is still my go to thread, there are threads that may be a bit more flashy but Uni is a good tough thread.

[ScottP]

Uni's great for a lot of things but I can't do any split thread apps with it. I've got a lot of Danville 6/0 and some UTC 70 & 140 for that (and other stuff). Need to check out the MFC products. For saltwater it's mostly flat-waxed nylon or monofilament.

Regards,
Scott

[Hans Weilenmann]

Uni's great for a lot of things but I can't do any split thread apps with it.

Scott,

Uni is certainly not the greatest for doing split thread, but (and you may already know/do this anyway) at a pinch it can be made to work. You have to break the 'bonding' by running it through nail-pressed-to-pad a couple times.

Cheers,
Hans W

[ScottP]

Hans,

I've done it a few times; now I try to make sure I have a spool of Danville or UTC in brown or black wherever I go so I can avoid that experience ever happening again.

Regards,
Scott

[whatfly]

Like others, I prefer any flat thread over Unithread. Danville 6/0 and Flymaster+ handles most of my tying. Have also played with MFC threads and they perform well, and Benecchi is a favorite too.

[Uncle Jesse]

I am not nearly as accomplished a tyer as many of the guys I have seen post their flies here but I use monofilament sewing thread a lot. As I heard a Wyoming fly shop owner say on a video it hides a lot of sins and the color is alway right, although I do use the dark also. It has to be waxed to hold dubbing well but is small diameter, strong and can be colored with a permanent felt tip if color is needed. It is also readily available when there is not a flyshop around.

[planettrout]

The more I use, the more I like:




PT/TB

[Silver Creek]

Choosing thread

Here are some general rules.

1. There is no correlation between denier and the "aught" rating system. The "aught" system is good for a single manufacturer. A 6/0 from one manufacturer may be a thicker or thinner thread compared to a 6/0 from another manufacturer system. See comparison of Gudebrod and Benecchi below.

2. Breaking strength varies with the material and its diameter. For example, nylon thread from different manufacturers of the same diameter will have near identical breaking strength. See comparison of Gudebrod and Benecchi below.

The comparison between 8/0 Gudebrod vs 8/0 and 12/0 Benecchi shows how you cannot rely on the "aught" system. The 8/0 Benecchi is much thicker than Gudebrod. When equal thickness threads are compared, the 8/0 Gudebrod and 12/0 Benecchi, the breaking strengths are identical. Don't be fooled by the "aught" system.

Manufacturer/aught/material/denier/breaking strength/thickness in .000



3. Nylon and polyester thread have about the same breaking strength. GSP is much stronger.

4. There is NO FREE LUNCH. You cannot make a stronger thinner thread from identical materials. All you can do is to label a thread as being thinner using the "aught" system to make buyers think your thicker thread is as thin as a competitors and stronger.

5. Denier within as single material gives a true comparison of thickness. A lower denier will be thinner. Identical deniers of identical material will have near identical breaking strengths.

6. The way to pick thread is to pick the material and then pick whether you want the thread twisted or flat.

Here are recommendations:

1. I prefer a flat thread. It can be used for split thread dubbing loops. It lies flatter and is less bulky when wraps are stacked. It is less apt to cut through materials such as foam. It can be twisted when you need a twisted thread. If you do buy a twisted thread, get a non-bonded thread that can be untwisted.

2. I prefer polyester over nylon. It has less stretch. Nylon has brighter colors when you need a bright thread.

3. I use GSP thread only when I need extreme strength, for example, when flaring deer hair.

4. Stick with a single manufacturer at first to get familiar with the properties of the thread. For a newbie, I suggest nylon since it stretches before breaking and it gives you more "feedback" when you are reaching the thread limit.

Frontrangeanglers.com - Choosing the Right Thread

http://cdflyfishers.org/Fly Tying/Th... of denier.pdf

http://mvff.tripod.com/Reference/Denier.pdf


Here are two thread charts from the articles above.