What Thread to Use for Beginners

[flyfly 0]

What thread should I use for beginning fly tying? Some people say to use 8/0 Uni and some Flymaster 6/0 waxed. Should I use 6/0?

[FIN-ITE 34 0]

Waxed 6/0 olive Danville. The only thread you will ever need so says Matt Grobert.

[Gene L 0]

Both. Thread is cheap and a spool will last a long time, so there's no reason not to buy both. I find 6/0 is better for Wooly Buggers and for a lot of wet flies. It builds up a head quickly. But I use 8/0 on lots of wets and on all dries, if not smaller than 8/0 (70 Denier). The smaller diameter, the better a fly will float, generally.

[netabrookie 0]

Flyfly, if you are anything like me when I first started then I would suggest 20# dacron backing because I was very good at breaking thread. All joking aside, all the threads mentioned are good suggestions and have their right place on the right fly. I like Uni 8/0 for most trout flies but I also have been using a lot of Ultra thread lately. Like Gene L suggested, thread is cheap so try a few different kinds and you will hit on one that you prefer. Good luck with your new hobby/addiction/obsession.

Take Care,

Tony

[rockworm 0]

Like most things in flytying, your choice of material should depend upon its use and your abilities. As a beginner you will find that a 6/0 thread will serve most purposes. When you start tying smaller flies (say #16 to 24) you will need to use a smaller diameter thread like the 8/0. There are also special threads for very small flies (16/0, 18/0, SpiderWeb, Caenis, ...)

 

On the other hand, there are times you will need a more hefty thread. For example, when tying spun- or stacked-deerhair flies you will need a thread like the 3/0 that will not cut into the hair like the smaller threads do.

 

Mind you, none of this is writ in stone. You should use what you feel comfortable with and with which you get the best results. Some tyers use very small diameter threads for most of their dry flies; arguing they can keep the bodies more slender. Others will argue it takes fewer turns of a heavier thread to make a fly- thereby saving time.

 

If you persist in this insane endeavor (ie If you are as crazy as the rest of us) you will want to familiarize yourself with a range of threads. You don`t need to buy all the colours ; some excellent tyers use only black thread; some others use only white. (I won`t embarrass myself by saying how many spools I own...) But get yourself at least one heavy thread (ie 3/0 Uni), one medium thread (6/0), one fine thread (8/0), and a very fine thread ( ie 16/0.) At some point you may also want to get a spool (or two) of Pearsall`s Gossamer silk for tying traditional wet flies. (The silk is honestly an indulgence- You don`t need it to tye a perfectly serviceable Snipe and Purple or a Partridge and Orange. But silk is such a joy to handle!)

[williamhj 0]

As others have indicated, it can depend on what you are tying. Ultimately tie with what is on hand. You'll learn how much pressure you can / should apply and get accustom to the thread you use. If you're tying large or very small you might need something stronger or lighter.

[oldtrout58 0]

What are you tying? I suggest get a spool of 6/0 and 8/0 and perhaps 3/0 in black to start with.

 

If you get 8/0 you will likely break it starting out.

As an experiment, you should try to break your thread to learn how much force it can handle.

 

Welcome to the club!

[flytire 0]

use what YOU are comfortable with

 

a little something i posted on another forum

 

i think the old "standard" was this size thread for this size hook or type of fly. that was the general recommendation as the tyers had only a few sizes of thread to choose from. but with today's tying threads the possibilities are endless.

 

i don't buy in to "this size thread for this size hook" (but ive been tying flies for 35+ years )

 

i used to use uni 8/0 exclusively but changed to veevus threads when the first came out

 

i now use veevus 12/0 thread for all of my flies and its perfect for my style of tying

 

for a beginner i would tell you to try different sizes of thread. wrap some around a hook shank and break it. repeat a few times to get the feel of how much pressure you can apply. then use the thread that you feel comfortable with

 

the less wraps of thread the better. you don't need 234 wraps of thread for the head of the fly nor do you need that many wraps to tie down most if not all materials

learn thread management first

 

every wrap of thread adds 1/2 twist in the thread turning the thread into a rope. spinning the thread counterclockwise will untwist the thread flat like a ribbon. this is good for making the head of the fly and whip finish knots.

 

with the tying thread in the ribbon state you can inset a needle into the hanging thread and split it. then you can insert dubbing and other materials between the split thread.

be aware that not all threads can be untwisted into a flat ribbon

 

here are some thread charts to give you a better idea of whats available to tyers

 

Fly Tying Thread Table - Manufacturers, materials, diameters, breaking strengths and much more for a large number of fly-tying threads - Global FlyFisher

Choosing the Right Fly Tying Thread

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/thread-comparison-chart-for-blog.pdf

http://mvff.tripod.com/Reference/Denier.pdf

[Dave G. 0]

My Olive thread is 8/0 Uni, I used to keep 6/0 in olive but last time it ran out I never replaced it and am getting along fine that way. In black I keep both 6/0 and 8/0 ( 6/0 for streamer flies, 8/0 for midges and small dry flies or really most everything but streamers). In tan I keep just 6/0 for size 12-16 caddis flies. It works fine for them. In red, I have Mono and 6/0. I also carry flosses of various shades from Orange red, burnt reds, rust and common Royal reds for Northern Maine flies and streamers.. Also Jade Floss and Yellow. Why am I putting floss with threads ? Good question !! lol. I just am. Yellow and White thread I keep 6/0. And I have a spool of white 8/0 that I may never use. I use very little white thread. I had a dream about trying to match this little tiny white hatch on a local pond and have given up on that idea. They are just too small, they are probably size 32- 40, the fish pig out on them and I have no clue what they are and size 20 midges are about my limit in tying at age 65. Who cares ! I'm into bass bugs right now in late Aug anyway.

 

Additionally, I keep Uni 3/0 in White , Black and Red for salt water flies and fresh water bass bugs. And incidentally the 3/0 behaves differently than the 8/0, has way more strands. a little more give and if you should willingly break it off it leaves a very frayed look to the break. I find it good for spinning deer hair.

 

It's worth noting perhaps, that I got a bad spool of 6/0 Danvil tan thread and also some lousy black floss in Danvil. It's become Not my Favorite brand as such. I will avoid it. Now it's been years since I bought Danvil thread, it may just have been a bad run. I have had 0 issues with Uni or the now defunct Universal Vise brands. Honestly, I just go right for the Uni rack these days. I have a limited quantity of UTC as well, very good thread though.

[SBPatt 0]

After having gone thru a Uni phase for a number of years (and pretty much abandoning Danville), I've found I now prefer the Flymaster for a lot of my trout fly tying (I also really like MFC 8/0 thread but it's harder for me to find locally and I still have a ton of the Danville). Flymaster is cheap, comes in lots of colors and is very versital - lays flat when you need it and works great for split-thread apps. For larger flies/spun deer hair I lean toward UTC 140 or Flymaster Plus/Flat-wax for really heavy work. Just my $.02

 

Regards,

Scott

[flytire 0]

But flymaster is danville that you abandoned

[flyfishingdom 0]

I think I own every color imaginable in UTC 70. haha. I just found that I tie best with UTC early on and haven't really wavered. I find it very easy to manage and can lay very flat when laying a thread body or finishing a head. It's also very strong for it's small diameter.

 

I also own about 8 colors in 140 for doing deer hair and pike flies.

 

Every tier has their own styles and the characteristics of the thread will suit their styles in some way. I'm with the others who say, "thread is cheap". Go and try a bunch of different styles and see what you like best!

[SBPatt 0]

But flymaster is danville that you abandoned

I saw the error of my ways.

 

Regards,

Scott

[flyfishingdom 0]

This is from a UTC nerd at intheriffle explaining everything you can imagine about the thread:

 

 

And here is a comparison video of UTC vs. UNI vs. Veevus. Interesting stuff if you have 10 min to kill

 

[Crackaig 0]

Great advice so far, all I would add is that there is a lot of personal taste involved.

 

When I teach a course I like to have various kinds of thread available, in sizes roughly equivalent to 6/0. The course starts with everyone using 6/0 however I try to ensure that from lesson to lesson you would use a different make of thread. This is to give you an idea what you like and don't like about thread. For example, Danvill's Flymaster is very stretchy, UTC 140 less so, and Uni 6/0 hardly at all. I have no preference which you use, but I'm sure you will develop one. I want to give you the opportunity to. Later in the course we will use both 3/0 (for deer hair) and 8/0 (for small flies).

 

Just because I happen to use, mostly UTC doesn't mean using a different thread will make you any better or worse a tier. It may be an expense to try different threads, but in time you will get to know what you like. The thoughtful tier will be able to tell you why he uses the thread he does, and why he doesn't use others.

 

Cheers,

C.