Using rayon floss with a bobbin

Fly Patterns
1

Do you get a lot fraying when using a bobbin to
apply floss ?

I’ve always used a piece of floss cut from the
spool in the past but am thinking of using a
bobbin.

2

I use a flare-tipped bobbin for floss. Works well, but most of my floss is 4-strand now.

Tyflyer

3

Try a flared or ceramic bobbin. Bobbins can be polished if needed, but I long ago gave up on standard metal ones and went to ceramic.

Dennis

4

Thanks, I’ll pick up a flared bobbin and give it a try. Two of the bobbins I have are ceramic but none are flared.

5

I use multi-strand floss, and as such, normally apply the floss by hand. To help prevent broken filaments of floss, I use some fine sandpaper on my fingertips before working with floss, also smooth the nail edges.

It really helps. Read the article in the Tying Tip archives, titled “The Importance of a Good Manicure!”…
[url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/tyingtips/part121.html:4de32]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/tyingtips/part121.html[/url:4de32]

~Parnelli

6

jeffie,

Using a bobbin holder to wrap material, in this case floss, around a stationary hook will by definition introduce twist in the material. With floss this would spell disaster, unless you really like the look of lumpy floss bodies.

An alternative is to hold the bobbin stationary while you rotate the hook around its own (shank) axis, using an in-line rotary vise. No twisting of the floss, but unless you have three hands I would suggest that the result will be less than perfect :wink:

The very best, smoothest floss bodie are still the result of hand over hand wrapping with a section of floss.

Cheers,
Hans W

=== You have a friend in Low Places ===
http://www.danica.com/flytier

7

Thanks again!
I just finished a bunch of EHCs and was about
to start on wets and streamers, lots of these
to be done.