Dry Fly Tying thread?

[hooked]

I'm getting into tying dry flies, size 12-16 caddis, adams, BWO...

My question is what thread is best? I use UniThread now for tying nymphs, but I don't have the correct colors for the dry flies I want to tie. I've been looking at threads and found that there's thread that's flat and waxed (Saw it at bass pro shop). Was wondering if waxed thread is a good idea for dry flies, thinking it might help resist water?

 

[McSneek]

I'm pretty sure most tying thread is waxed. Not for the purpose of making a fly waterproof though. It helps your materials especially dubbing, adhere to the thread.

You are fine using UniThread for your dry flies. 6/0 will handle most sizes. May want to add some spools of 8/0 for smaller flies.

If you already have grey thread you are good to go for most dries. Add tan, brown, olive and yellow/cream and you should be set for 90+% of the dry flies you'll tie for PA trout.

 

[beadhead2]

Read this article
http://frontrangeanglers.com/newsletter/feb05/choosingthread.htm

 

[hooked]

Awesome, a lot of information on that website. Thanks!

 

[blueheron]

Starting out you may want to use the smallest diameter thread that you feel comfortable with and the flat threads lay nicer than the round threads, these two choices will help you tie a neater, thinner fly. I happen to use use Griffith's and Daville and find them both easy to work with.

 

[osprey]

Danville in 6/0 will handle just about all we need here in PA but experiment........what you like is the BEST for you GOOD LUCK

 

[afishinado]

hooked wrote:
I'm getting into tying dry flies, size 12-16 caddis, adams, BWO...

My question is what thread is best? I use UniThread now for tying nymphs, but I don't have the correct colors for the dry flies I want to tie. I've been looking at threads and found that there's thread that's flat and waxed (Saw it at bass pro shop). Was wondering if waxed thread is a good idea for dry flies, thinking it might help resist water?

Dirty little secret no fly shop wants you to know:........buy white thread and use a Sharpie to color it! :-o

 

[hooked]

That's a good idea with the sharpie, would give me the ability to choose between a lot of different colors and use different colors on the same fly without changing thread... but i feel like it would take a long time to color and let dry so it doesn't come off on other material when tying. Since thread is only a few bucks and I really only need a few colors I'm okay with buying colored thread, at least for now. But I'll keep that secret in mind when I get into tying a lot of different flies

 

[ryguyfi]

Here's also a little secret.... size 12-16 is actually quite large when it comes to flies. Wait till you start tying sz 26-32 midges!

The thread can also impact the actual color of the flies when they're wet. I use an amber thread and a lighter dubbing on my sulphurs. When it's wet, the color of the thread bleeds through the dubbing and makes it darker. Not to get too technical with you, but color can make a difference on your thread.

When tying you should break your thread every once in a while. You want tension on it. So minus the bad words when it happens, don't worry too much about it. It happens to all of us.

Practice makes perfect (actually PERFECT practice makes perfect, but keep working on it)

 

[nfrechet]

learn thread control first. break some thread just to see how much stretch it can take. start with 6/0 and then move on to the higher number threads (8/0, 10/0, 12/0 etc) until you find one that you are comfortable using and not breaking.

i currently use the veevus brand at 12/0. good thread, strong

if you use a larger thread such as 6/0 or 3/0 just remember that it doesn't take 43 wraps of thread to tie on most materials. 2 wraps of thread will hold almost anything down. it also doesn't take 24 wraps of thread to build a head.

 

[PennKev]

I really like UTC thread. They are much stronger than the monocord threads but similiar to tie with. Uni is pretty strong too, but it doesn't flatten as nicely as the UTC and tends to build up bulk quicker.

It should also be mentioned that not all 6/0 threads are the same diameter. Uni 6/0 is heavier than Danville 6/0, and the Uni 3/0 is seriously bulky stuff. (UTC measures their thread in denier rather than X/0)

 

[JeffK]

I like the Veevus, but have tied with Danville, UNI, and UTC and they are fine too. In general I like finer threads for dry flies and usually start with 8/0. I don't think you can pick wrong. Learn to tie with one and when you learn more and get better preferences you can branch out.

The Dette's originally used white thread and colored the head. For years I used black and a neutral color (either gray or tan). Now I have dozens of spools of colors and types of threads. My flies look prettier, but I'm not sure the fish care.

 

[dubthethorax]

Bennichi and Sheer 12/0 and 16/0 for dries. Just watch your tension