Gossamer Silk and Matarelli bobbin

[mvendon 0]

You can go all out and buy all kinds of stuff for soft hackles and flymphs. You can also keep it simple and tie patterns like these Adirondack nymphs. No silk thread, some coarse black dubbing, and a couple of wraps of some guinea hen.

 

Regards,

Mark

 

 

 

 

[Cold 0]

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[Dave G. 0]

 

I bet with a couple of pairs of pliers, I or anyone else, could re bend the arms on a standard framed bobbin/ thread spool holder and make it work on those half sized spools. You might have to get a little imaginative as to how the bends should go but I suspect it would end up working fine. But I don't use silk in my soft hackles , I mostly use floss actually.

If you have a holder with the ball ends, sure. The ones with the "cone" type ends generally have to be bent to the point that the spool will pop out of them easily, so they're either too far apart to hold the small spools, or they're bent too much to hold them.

 

Of course I suppose you could work out some kind of compound, multi-bend solution...but at that point, you're pretty much committing a standard bobbin holder to small spool duty anyway, so why not just get the $6 "right-tool-for-the-task.

Was just thinking out loud. Good point , if you can get them for $6. Some of the replies I thought indicated the cheap ones weren't so hot.

[Poopdeck 0]

Let me add, while I don't tie many wet flies, I don't see a need for special silk thread in this day and age.

[SilverCreek 0]

Both David Hughes on pg. 126 of his book, Trout Flies; and Joseph D. Cornwall on pg 99 of his book, Fly Fishing Warm Water Rivers, write about the importance of using Pearsall's Gossamer Silk for the patterns in their books.

 

This page shows Gossamer Silk wet fly patterns tied to match the old wet fly patterns.

 

Go to the bottom of the page to see dry and wet photos of the identical fly to see the Gossamer Silk color shift.

 

http://www.williamsfavorite.com/soft-hackle-fly-silks.html

 

 

[flytire 0]

Let me add, while I don't tie many wet flies, I don't see a need for special silk thread in this day and age.

 

what he said

 

and no fish on this planet knows the difference between pearsalls silk thread and 3/0 monocord

 

i didnt see much on page 126 of dave hughes book other than "see if you can track down the gossamer silk; the resulting fly is more true to the original conception of the soft hackle - a thrifty scottinsh border stream tie constructed of sewing basket silks and poachers' feathers"

 

good reading

 

http://oregonflyfishingblog.com/2011/06/04/caddis-fly-shop-pearsalls-silk-floss-thread/

[Moshup 0]

Thanks for the links Silver Creek and Flytire. Good reading.

[Dave G. 0]

As to the turning colors or shades of colors when wet, I find that floss does that as well, as long as you don't seal it with something (which I often do seal it with Sally Hansen HAN). I've also used the standard Poly sewing threads, sealed or unsealed. I think the difference is the advertise translucence of silk, where the other threads more mute out and or darken in color. In the end, for me, it's a matter of fit and function. If what I use catches fish, I'm good with it ! I might get a spool of silk one day just to see what the fuss is all about but 30 years so far I've done without it ( unless some of my old floss is indeed silk and it could very well be).

[Poopdeck 0]

not sure why anybody would want to use a thread that changes color when wet. Who wants to remember to use brown thread to make a black body and really orange thread to make something other then orange. After reading the link I can see why this thread has gone the way of horse hair line.

[Dave G. 0]

All you have to do is coat it with Sally's, you can see it change color and then when it dries it turns back original. But now when it gets wet it won't change because it's sealed. However, to do that you might just as well use any thread.

[Moshup 0]

Let me add, while I don't tie many wet flies, I don't see a need for special silk thread in this day and age.

 

Because it's cool !!!

[rstaight 0]

 

 

I bet with a couple of pairs of pliers, I or anyone else, could re bend the arms on a standard framed bobbin/ thread spool holder and make it work on those half sized spools. You might have to get a little imaginative as to how the bends should go but I suspect it would end up working fine. But I don't use silk in my soft hackles , I mostly use floss actually.

If you have a holder with the ball ends, sure. The ones with the "cone" type ends generally have to be bent to the point that the spool will pop out of them easily, so they're either too far apart to hold the small spools, or they're bent too much to hold them.

 

Of course I suppose you could work out some kind of compound, multi-bend solution...but at that point, you're pretty much committing a standard bobbin holder to small spool duty anyway, so why not just get the $6 "right-tool-for-the-task.

Was just thinking out loud. Good point , if you can get them for $6. Some of the replies I thought indicated the cheap ones weren't so hot.

 

I have several bobbins I purchased at a show in Chicago about 8 years back for $1. They are some cheap offshore thing but for $1 I thought why not, spent more on worse.

 

I like these cheapo things better then some of my $15 and $20 bobbins. I have a Tiemco that squeaks, drives me nuts. I end up taking the spool out and rubbing the ends of the bobbin against the side of my nose. The natural skin oil provides enough lubrication to get it to stop for at least that tying session.