bobbins

Another question, this one may be dumb, but I had a professor once that said the only dumb question was one that wasn’t asked or one you already knew the answer too. I just started tying flies and I have noticed that when I leave the bobbin hanging it gets to spinning round and round. Will this hurt anything or does it matter? I realize as my username implies that the flies I tie won’t be around long anyway, but I don’t want to get into a bad habbit if I can help it.

I know that grass string like farmers bale hay with can be tied up in a tree or what ever, take the loose end and tie it to a bucket or some weight and it will begin to spin around immediately. Shortly there after, depending on the quality of the twine, it will come apart and the weight will fall to the ground. I know my question was about thread, not grass twine but I don’t know how the thread is put together, and I can’t see it well enough to tell. :slight_smile:

thanks in advance,
Jason

You’ll get more answers from others, but it is common for many tiers to untwist their thread as a normal proceedure while tying. When using something like a 3/0 I don’t pay much attention to it but when tying with an 8/0 thread or something very fine, the thread will break easily when it is twisted to tighly.

While the bobbin is handing from the hook, notice which way it spins when you let it rotate on it’s own. After you have made a number of wraps, I just grab the barrel of the bobbin between my forefinger and thumb and spin it in the direction it would normally go if left to rotate on it’s own. It takes less time for it to unwind this way. Spinning it in this way once or twice durring a tie will help not break the fine thread as easily.

Rick

just stop it from spinning around if it bothers you. there is absolutely nothing wrong if it does spin or if it sways back and forth. the only time i spin the bobbin counterclockwise is when i need to finish the head area with nice flat wraps.

I’m not sure the answers so far have made it clear…that as you wrap you are imparting twist to the thread …and when the bobbin is hanging free it is trying to undo that twist.

Most tying threads are made of strands of material. Twisting them tighter creates a thinner, round section which can be easier to use when trying to tie in materials at a specific point. Untwisting the fibers will let you create a thin flat wrap of thread which is more desirable for flat bodies and nice neat heads.

The twisting is natural and not a problem at all, so don’t worry about it resulting from any bad habits. Eventually you’ll probably learn to use it to your advantage.

watch a video tyed by Wayne Luallen and he will tell you way a un twisted is advantage , he as a video on, the weekly fly .com

DING DING DING…give the man a Kewpie Doll. That’s why the thing spins like a top and I let it spin to let it unwind.

I think others are correct in that we impart twist to the thread as we wind it around the hook, it just happens.

Sometimes it’s advantagous to put a twist in the thread, when you are trying to secure material to the hook if you twist your bobbin the right way(I think it’s counter clockwise for a right hander but try yourself) the thread will more easily form a loop in the proper direction over the material.

Also when using flat waxed nylon, if you twist the thread one way the thread stays flat and lays flat on the hook. Twist if the other way and the thread rounds off like conventional thread.

I imagine there are other times in fly tying where imparting twist to thread helps a particular technique, a dubbing loop comes to mind.

Wayneb

As a left-hand tyer (I wrap with my left hand) I was told that it’s tougher for us to get as good a dubbing wrap as we actually UNWIND the thread twist as we wind to the hook body whereas a right-hand tyer will tighten the twist as he wraps thereby tightening up the dubbing on the thread.

At least this is one of the MANY excuses I use when my flies are put up to public scrutiny!!

I’ve been a Uni-Thread 8/0 user since I started tying but lately I’ve tried out some Danville’s and found I seem to be getting a better overall tie as I can twist the bobbin to flatten the thread which reduces the buildup on the hook. I also love the Benecchi 12/0 thread for my dry flies.

GOOD LORD!!! 12/0!!! I can just barely manage not to break 6/0!!! wow… just wow…

Actually it’s pretty strong. I don’t tie a lot with hair where I’d have to really torque down on the fly. Most of my flies are catskill-style dries or wingless wets/flymphs. It doesn’t take much to hold wood duck flank on a hook shank. If I’m doing hair wing flies or anything with deer/elk hair, I’ll drop down to the 8/0 or 6/0.

Just don’t catch the hook point while wrapping.

I have a chart that says Unithread 8/0 has a breaking strength of 16 oz.

This same chart says that Bennechi 12/0 also has a breaking strength of 16 oz. I have never used it though.

I do like Griffith’s 14/0 which also is listed with a breaking strength of 16 oz. This thread wraps on flat. Sometimes i put twist into it so it will not flatten out much because sometimes the fibers flatten out so much the the fibers start to separate out so that there is gaps between the fibers.

Scruffy,

I’m a fan of the GG 14/0 myself, Really like it for smaller flies or when a lack of bulk is important. Good stuff.

REE

Sounds as though you might just have too much tension on the arms of the bobbin or you are ‘choking’ the thread as you tie and causing it to break.
Correct bobbin tension cannot be achieved ‘out of the box’, you have to fine tune your bobbins to give just enough resistance to gravity and pull as you tie. Pulling too hard on any thread will cause it to break, it is just a matter of getting the ‘feel’ for the thread in use. Saying that, I still break the damned stuff at crucial moments from time to time!
Have a look at the link below for some tuning tips.

TLs

Tuning Bobbins

Nice discussion there, thanks for the link.

Ah, but Benecchi is very strong thread. I think the strongest.
I use it the most and love it.

AC,

I remember reading about those spacers Tupps made up for handling small spools, as Pearsall’s. How are they working out for you? Looks like they would work a treat.

At the Tying Expo last weekend I picked up half a dozen Wasatch bobbin holders for Pearsall’s. Yup, I’m a tackle tart as well, mate.

Ron,

Not trying to steal the thread, but I have several sets of the bobbin spacers from Tupps and love them. The whole set up seems to fit my hand nicely and they do a fantastic job.

Ron,

they are the dog’s danglies!

Work with any of my bobbin holders without changing the tension I use on th elarger spools.

Mighty fine guy, that Tupps is!

Tupp’s bobbin spacers? Help me out here, guys.