Managing Ultra Wire

[rbreedi1 0]

I've recently begun fly tying and would like to know how you guys manage the spools of UTC ultra wire and keep them from unraveling everywhere into a huge birds nest? I've noticed there is a plastic piece on the end of the spool that removes, do you use this somehow to keep it tight?

[FIN-ITE 34 0]

Leave the plastic piece attached to the spool. The wire gets captured between the plastic and the spool. Very simple.

[mikechell 0]

You can see in this picture, how the wire is pulled up and captured between the plastic piece and the spool.

 

Well, never mind. For some reason, I can't upload a picture at this time.

Google images of UTC wire spools and you'll see a picture of three spools. The one lying on it's side has the wire in plain view.

 

 

[add147 0]

I don't ever had any problems with my wire but I always put it back in the slit in the spool after I get finished using it.

[Piker20 0]

I have a permanent area for tying so made a small wooden holder (a copy of a product orvis were selling here a few years back). The spool sits on a dowel and the wire runs under a tension bar and pulls into slit silicon. I used a piece of mousemat. Then I just pull a length I require and snip it off and the rest stays in the holder.

This is the original orvis one.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

I use these soft plastic spools from Feather-Craft to store my wire. Just leave a tag end of wire sticking out, and you can pull out and cut off what you need without opening the spool. Wire stays tightly coiled around the core. They work great for monofilament/fluorocarbon, chenille, and other stranded materials too.

www.feather-craft.com

[whatfly 0]

Just pop the plastic cap off the spool, take off what your need, and trap the tag under the spool cap when done. No need to struggle, and I am amazed how many tiers seem to miss this simple step.

[flytire 0]

me too!

 

i just unspool what i think i need and slip the wire back under the cap

 

see the wire secured between the spool and cap

 

 

for spools other than ultra wire that dont have the cap, just insert back in the slit in the spool

 

if that seems to be too easy, buy or make some 'spool hands'

 

[rbreedi1 0]

Awesome, thank you guys!

[Jedicazador 0]

I just got a new spool, and dropped it while tying, what a mess!

[SILKHDH 0]

Made my own elastic straps with bead, like in the photo above, I think they are the way to go. No matter what happens, the wire stays on the spool until I need it. I use them on tons of my material spools. This is the best way to go. I have one of the spool racks like above too. And even with the rack system, the wire can get out of hand. I put the elastic straps on the spools in my rack system too. You can also make bigger diameter ones for you tippet spools when you go fishing. Cheap to make, works great, what more do you want.

[heavynets 0]

I'm having a plastic clip 3-D printed. I'll post a picture if it works. I'll probably do some for my tippet spools too. The elastic band is a way better idea. Just looking for an excuse to have something 3-D printed.

[vicrider 0]

Bryon Anderson, if you can give a direct link to the product you show it'd be appreciated. I wouldn't mind picking up a few of those but I can't find them in the mess of items they sell, and I tried.

 

Nick

[Kimo 0]

Bryon Anderson, if you can give a direct link to the product you show it'd be appreciated. I wouldn't mind picking up a few of those but I can't find them in the mess of items they sell, and I tried.

 

Nick

https://www.feather-craft.com/wecs.php?store=feacraft&action=display&target=TD026

 

Kimo

[Jokey 0]

If the wire you are buying doesn't have a plastic keeper like the spools of UTC some places also sell "thread buttons" that act the same way and hold down the tag end of wire to the top of the spool. Very cheap and easy solution for managing any spooled product.

 

Cheers

 

J