Catgut, where to buy it?

[flytire 0]

a little swipe with some emery cloth or sandpaper will knock that shine right off of that mono for a dull finish

 

fly line backing is pretty dull and make good bodies. can be colored with any color marker

 

 

[gatorfly 0]

Kinda bummed about caddis green and natural, those were the two colors I really wanted. I guess everyone else does too. Even the European sites seem to be hurting in those two colors.

[flytire 0]

All the surgeons are sewing up their patients

[gatorfly 0]

I'm sort of grossed out that I've been sewn up with goat/sheep intestine whenever I've had to get stitches

[Gene L 0]

Your body absorbs the suture if it's catgut, so it's good in interior surgery places where the stitches can't be removed without having to cut an additional incision. That isn't done.

 

Tennis racquets? I'd think the strings would be way too large for fly tying. May be wrong, though.

[mikechell 0]

wouldnt a colored monofilamet work just as well and provide the same effect?

 

 

For the fish ... probably. For the fishermen ... probably not.

[flytire 0]

your right...we tie flies for fishermen...they're the only ones that critique them anyway

[Gene L 0]

I'd think mono would be more difficult to wrap, since it's got more springiness to it. I haven't tried it, though.

[Stevester 0]

With regards to tennis racquet strings, natural gut is and always was more expensive than manmade. Like I said, call a pro-shop and see if they do any stringing with natural gut, some places probably don't any more due to cost/demand. To those who made comments about its thickness, if you read my post you note that I said it could be untwisted to make thinner strands. Another source of natural gut is for musical instruments like violins and violas. I don't know about costs for instrument strings.

 

Steve

[SilverCreek 0]

Your body absorbs the suture if it's catgut, so it's good in interior surgery places where the stitches can't be removed without having to cut an additional incision. That isn't done.

 

Tennis racquets? I'd think the strings would be way too large for fly tying. May be wrong, though.

 

I used to play a lot of tennis. Racquet gut strings are made of multiple strands (about 18) of gut thread that is twisted. The twisted surface gives the string more "bite" so more spin can be put on the ball. If you read how individual gut "thread" is manufactured below, it is likely the same threads are used to make the gut for fly tying. Since gut strings are used in tennis raquets and musical instruments, I suspect that the gut for flytying comes from the same source of gut thread.

 

Theoretically, from the articles below, a tennis gut string should have about 18 individual gut threads so an individual thread would be pretty small. Since the gut is twisted and polished, the polishing could make some of the threads vary in diameter.

 

http://www.scienceiq.com/Facts/TennisRacquet.cfm

 

http://www.tennisindustrymag.com/articles/2013/08/strings_how_natural_gut_string.html

 

[phg 0]

What goes 'round comes 'round.

 

When I was a kid, in the 1950's, dad was still using catgut for leaders, and you could get it, cheap, at any bait and tackle shop.

[Gene L 0]

Gut leaders were made from silkworm gut, not cat gut.

[jacktjl 0]

Your body absorbs the suture if it's catgut, so it's good in interior surgery places where the stitches can't be removed without having to cut an additional incision. That isn't done.

 

Tennis racquets? I'd think the strings would be way too large for fly tying. May be wrong, though.

I had an old tennis racquet from when I played in the late 60's. You have to soak the strings for a while which will make them supple. Then you will need to unravel to get a section that can be used to tie a fly. A single racquet might yield 1000 flies or more.

 

Tim

[phg 0]

Gut leaders were made from silkworm gut, not cat gut.

Expensive ones were silkworm gut. Cheap ones were catgut - at least that's what I was told.

[Stevester 0]

You soaked your gut strings before playing? I never heard of that when I played, in fact one of the disadvantages of gut racquet strings was that they would loosen when wet. Racquets are strung dry at a specific tension specified by the player. For pro's the disadvantages of gut are minor, they get their racquets and strings free if they are sponsored. That is why you see them bring 5 or 6 racquets with them to a match and most people don't realize that they restring them after every match or two. Back to tying; if you find an old racquet with gut strings sure you can cut the strings out and use them. If the racquet was used a fair amount don't be surprised to see some fraying of the strings near the center of the hitting surface, that is normal wear.

 

Steve