Lagartun vs Ultra-wire?

[fishoutawattta 0]

Hello!

 

Gross newbie here! I'm learning to tie using Charlie Craven's Basic Fly Tying. I'm going step-by-step, as I've seen recommended here, and at my local shops. And I feel almost ready to progress from a Brassie to a Black Beauty.

 

For the Black Beauty, he recommends "Lagartun Copper Wire". At the shop I visited today, they didn't have that (and the sales guy wasn't familiar with it), but they had plenty of Ultra Wire. So it got me to wondering: What's the difference? And will it make a noticeable difference on my flies?

 

Thanks!

 

Outawattta

[Piker20 0]

The copper wire is just a brand so it'll be fine using uni. Some wires may tarnish over time but uni seem ok from what I've seen.

[Jaydub 0]

When it comes to copper wire, if you can get the size and color you want, the brand doesn't really matter. I think all of it , sold for fly tying, is enameled. Lagartun makes nice metallic flat and oval tinsels.

[flytire 0]

dont get hung up on name brands. copper wire is copper wire no matter who respools it.

 

the copper wire in an old appliance cord works equally well as any name brand fly tying wire.

 

one cord will last you a very long time and is free if its going to be thrown away

 

cut the cord to manageable length 6-8 inches and strip of some outer insulation but leave on an inch or two

 

pull out a strand of wire and use it as a rib

 

 

a small electrical motor is another source of copper wire

 

when it comes down to colored wire, there's none better than the ultra wire

 

beware of craft store wire used for beading etc. most are too big in diameter for fly tying

 

the fish dont care about brands

[fishoutawattta 0]

Thanks, all! Especially the idea about using electrical cord/old motor! Got a lot of that hanging around!

 

Fishouta . . .

[notenuftoys 0]

I had a burnt out ceiling fan motor, and thought it would give me enough copper wire for 6 lifetimes of tying. But alas, once I got it all pulled apart, it just too big.

 

As others have said, the brand doesn't matter. Size is the importance. You'll find this for other materials as well; just because the pattern calls for a specific brand, you can often substitute.

[jd1983 0]

I'd never thought of pulling copper wire from old appliances. Great idea.

[fishoutawattta 0]

All,

 

Checked on Lagartun wire with an experienced Orvis fishing manager. He said that it is an "older" wire -- predates the Ultra a bit, and they made a finer wire than Ultra. But now that Ultra makes Extra-Fine (small?), there's little reason to go with Lagartun. He used to stock it, but it didn't sell; he rarely even uses the stock he has at his own bench.

 

So . . . no Lagartun for me!

 

Outawattta

[J-Kno 0]

FWIW:

 

I measured my Uni large, Danville fine, UTC small & xsmall and some generic small in both inches and mm. Here are the results:

 

Uni large: 0.011", 0.28mm roughly 29 AWG

Gen sm: 0.006", 0.15mm roughly 35 AWG

UTC sm: 0.006", 0.15mm roughly 35 AWG

UTC xs: 0.004", 0.11mm roughly 37 AWG

Dan fine: 0.004", 0.11mm roughly 37 AWG

 

Smallest I have seen in craft stores so far is 28 AWG, so it would be the next AWG size larger than the Uni. Stranded wire is listed by its total size then by the individual strand and how many of them. For example: 22 AWG 7/30. Total wire size is 22 AWG, but is built up with 7 strands of 30 AWG wire... make sense?