i know there are many different kinds of thread out there… waxed, unwaxed, silk, etc. (im sure that list goes for hours!)
i (being fairly new to fly tying) use embroidery thread… what can i say… im cheap! lol
i was looking at the thread that was available to me at the time, (unaware of an actual fly shop at the time) and realized the thread that was there was nylon… and about 2 bucks for 100 yrds… i found mylon embroidery thread for 85 cents for 1500 yrds…
i personally have no problem tying with either, just is it worth it to spend the extra money?
i have caught plenty of fish on my flies now… and they have held up as well as store bought… they stay just as buoyant of sink just as well as tying thread… so does it really matter?
i find it to be stronger and easier to work with… it lays just as flat, u can spin it just the same… the only real down fall i have noticed is you have to manually re spool your bobbin… comments?
respectfully,
spoof
Spoof
Don’t you find the embroidery thread a little thick for tying? Maybe I’m thinking of the wrong product?
The $2 or whatever the price is for tying thread is a bargain. One spool will last you more than a year. You can get pre-waxed tying thread (helps secure the knots) in so many sizes and colors. I am currently tying with some #14 thread which is really fine and for tiny flies.
Unless you’re spinning hair, either #8 or at most #6 is all you would need for most tying situations.
For what it’s worth,
Byron
it may be becouse i started working with it first but i tend to have more problems with tying thread… both of these are on Mustad 24 dry fly…
it works phenomenally for spinning deer hair…
that’s right, 3 parts to each baby!! lol
spoof
it is about the thickness of 8 i would say… i have one heck of a time tying with pre waxed thread, the material seems to roll all over the place… i found this odd i was originally under the impression that waxed threads help hold the material better…
im going to pick up some olive thread this weekend, (and probably a hell of alot more stuff) how is silk to work with? i assume it has a low tinsel strength.
i did notice tonight (while using white tying thread… i think 8, not sure…) that it was easier to do figure 8 wraps on wings…
Spoof,
What I think you are using is ‘machine embroidery thread’. I use that in red, it’s a Coats & Clark product, 40 wt. 100% trilobal polyester thread. It’s about 6/0 in size.
It works just fine for general tying.
You might also look at the ‘Bobbin’ threads. The size 70 bobbin thread, also from Coats & Clark, is a 100% polyester thread that comes in black and white. It’s a bit thinner, between 6/0 and 8/0. I tie the vast majority of my flies with this thread.
All of these are great values. The bobbin threads come on 1500 yard spools and sell in my area for around $10. The embroidery thread I have comes on 1100 yard spools for around $7. The nice thing about the embroidery threads is that they come in a variety of colors (all I tie with anymore are white, black, red, and clear).
The only drawback is having to transfer it onto smaller spools to fit standard bobbins. Before I found this stuff I used a lot of regular tying threads, and luckily saved some of the spools. I just run the sewing thread onto the empty spools with a drill motor…takes me a few minutes every coupld of months ti fill up five or six.
You should also look at the ‘invisible’ threads. I find them in two sizes .004 and .005, in both clear and ‘smoke’ or ‘black’ (same thing, different names). Basically it’s just nylon monofilament constructed to be more limp for sewing uses. Several hundred yards is a couple of bucks. This is fantastic thread for streamers when you want the colors of the materials to show through the thread. It’s ‘the’ thread for Clouser minnows.
You can find these threads at sewing shops, craft shops, and some of it at WalMarts. You can also find some ‘specialty threads’ at these places that will have niche applications. All you really need to do is take the time to read the labels and figure out what the thread is made of and how it’s finished.
I have no use for waxed threads. If I need wax, I have some I can apply as needed. Normally I don’t want it, as I want my glues and head cements to penetrate the thread. Wax on the thread impedes this. Nor do I ever ‘split’ my thread and I do not want them to be ‘flat’. For me, these threads are superior to most of the tying threads sold, and they are certainly a better value.
But, they won’t work for all tying. Sometimes you need thinner threads for tiny flies, or heavy stuff for spinning deer hair (gel spun fishing line works, but it’s not cheap), etc. But for general trout, bass, panfish type flies, you can tie them all with this stuff and save some money.
Heck, even plain old cotton sewing thread has applications…it’s all I use for standard hackled dry fly bodies anymore. Pre treat the entire spool with water proofing, twist two colors together, or use one as a ‘rib’ color over another. It’s slightly fuzzy, reduces the bulk caused by dubbing and eliminates that whole hassle completely. Cheap, comes in huge color array, and the trout don’t care a bit…
I haven’t bought ‘tying thread’ in years.
Buddy
damn buddy… thanks 
for the input, and i think u are right… i bought it a long time ago but i think it is machine thread… i did get it at a sewing store lol… (shopping with the wife:D)
Spoof, you hit the nail on the head in your first post. Most of the cost of fly tying thread is the small spool and the process of getting the thread on to it. Some years ago I discovered Gutermann Scala thread, 15 000 meters for less than 10 UKP. Scala is finer than Uni 8/0 and stronger than 6/0. If I were to spool it, and pay myself minimum wage for the time spent spooling it, I wouldn’t be able to sell it for much less than the other tying threads.
If you are a member of a club or FFF chapter you could suggest that some of you get together and chip in for a range of colours. Build a spooling machine using an old sewing machine motor, and then you have a range of colours you can all access.
Cheers,
C.
i am not a member of anything… its a bummer actually, its just me… hiding next to my now dusty xbox, with my computer… amazing to think that within arms length i have my phone, 2 monitors, xbox, tying vise and supplies, computer… a bit cramped i guess, but its what i got to work with for now… i would love to join a club of some sort, my friend and i were talking about making a club… but with only 2 members, it would be hardly worth it.
spoof
PS- not to mention my dart board, extensive DVD, and video game collection… and RC heli’s
Waxed thread is also recommended for putting on dubbing. I believe silk is pretty tough, after all, some of the strongest webbing is made by spiders and silkworms and as far as the white thread goes, it may just be easier to see, which in turn makes it seem easier. I think you would have no problem wrapping figure eights with any thread, same idea as white just different colors.
I know many will take exception to this but wax never was used for dubbing. There were two reasons that wax was introduced into fly tying. Silk rots, running it through wax stops it rotting. Before eyed hooks were available it was used to help grip the horse hair or gut that was tied in at the start of the tying process.
Dubbing sticks to itself, there is no need to stick it to the thread. If anyone thinks they need it for touch dubbing you can touch dub onto copper wire without it.
The only other application is to help build the head on classic salmon flies. It is used to stop the thread sliding, helping the head remain small.
Cheers,
A.