Fly
Tying Thread
Fly tying thread is the foundation, the most important material, next to the hook,
of course, of any fly. Today we have the very best thread ever available to fly tyers, GSP, Gel-Spun Polyethylene. Examples
are UNI-Cord or Wapsi’s UTC Ultra-GSP. GSP is “the strongest thread on the planet”, super-supple tying tight,
flat and smooth. A hook shank covered with side-by-side turns of GSP looks like it was painted, smooth and perfect for spinning
a deer hair body on it. Flies tied with GSP look neater and last longer!
The biggest hurdle beginning
fly tyers face is learning how to handle thread. Experience has taught us that different threads are required for different
types and sizes of flies. But GSP changes all that. It enables us to use one thread for all fly types and
sizes, including large deer-hair salmon Bombers, saltwater flies, bass bugs and tiny #20 trout dry flies. The more we use
a thread, the more familiar it becomes and we learn to handle it better, enabling us to tie easier, faster,
and tighter – neater, more durable flies, with less effort and in less time. Plus, we’ve eliminated time-consuming
thread changes and made fly tying easier to learn and less frustrating for beginners.
GSP
fly tying thread is currently available in 75 or 50 Denier sizes, about the size of 8/0 UNI-Thread, or slightly smaller. So
what’s with this Denier system? Well, prior systems like X/0 may have been consistent for a given manufacturer, for
example 8/0 Uni-Thread is smaller than 6/0 UNI-Thread, but another manufacturer’s 12/0 thread might be the same size
as 8/0 UNI-Thread, misleading we fly tyers. There really was no industry standard of measurement.
Today,
brands like Uni and Wapsi UTC are starting to use the Denier system, used by the textile industry, to inform us about the
true “size” of the thread. The reason the word size is in quotes is because, when it comes to thread,
it’s relatively meaningless. How can one measure and compare the “size” of a round and flat thread?
The
Denier system avoids all such problems. The Denier number is the weight in grams of 9000 meters of thread. So, a smaller Denier
number means a smaller thread, regardless of how one wants to define “smaller”. There will be slight anomalies
depending on a material’s density, but in comparisons of fly tying threads these are insignificant. The Denier system
gives us a meaningful industry standard of measuring thread that we can understand and trust.
Thanks
to recent rainfall we have great water conditions for fall Atlantic salmon fishing, so here’s a recipe for another great
fall fly, a shrimp imitation from Antigonish.
West River Wonder
Thread:
UTC G.S.P. 50 Denier red thread
Hook:
Mustad 36890 salmon wet fly hook, sizes 2,4,6
Tag: Flat
copper tinsel
Tail:
Sparse yellow and red bucktail mixed, twice length of hook shank
Butt:
Fluorescent red floss or stretch
Body hackle:
4-5 turns of red cock hackle
Body:
Yellow floss
Wing: Pheasant
body feather or tippet, tied flat over body
Head:
Red GSP thread finished with 2 coats Angler’s Corner Clear Wet Head Cement
Enjoy
your fishing and please stay on the line …