When I received my early education in fly tying from the old troglodyte cronies at the fly shop, the use of any thread other than one specifically designated for fly tying was as unthinkable. The mere mention of “sewing thread” would produce an awkward pause, followed by a terse, but forcibly polite, “no”. Then, a lengthy, extemporaneous tirade of why one absolutely must use “real” fly tying thread. To them, tying with something like sewing thread was as heretical as nymphing without a strike indicator!

While many alternative materials have co-existed with the fly fishing industry for decades, they were mostly materials for dubbing, wings, tails, ribbing–anything other than thread. Until fairly recently.

Today, more and more tyers are incorporating non-fly-tying threads into their patterns, mostly from the sewing shop; metallic threads, embroidery thread, variegated thread, and endless other varieties.

With innumerable variations that don’t exist in any fly shop, alternative threads threads offer the tyer a vast new realm of experimentation.

There’s just one problem. The spools don’t fit our bobbin holders!

They’re designed to fit machines, not our weird little fly tying tools. So, the dilemma, then, is how to transfer the thread to a spool what will fit. Rather than tedious hand winding, here’s an easy DIY solution that will let you transfer any thread to a fly tying friendly spool. Oh, and it works for wire too!

 

What You’ll Need

• Cordless drill (variable speed recommended)
• 1 1/4″ x 3″ bolt
• 2 washers (as least big enough to cover spool hole)
• Wing nut
• Empty fly tying spool
• Something to use as a spindle such as a thin pen or screwdriver. Here, I’m using my bodkin.

 

1. Thread the bolt through the empty spool with a washer on each side, and hand tighten the wing nut.

2. Place the end of the bolt in the drill’s chuck and tighten.

IMPORTANT!

Make sure you set the torque to the lowest setting to avoid injury or damage to your surroundings.

4. Tie the thread on to the empty spool and place it on your spindle. SLOWLY start the drill and work up to a comfortable speed

Tip:  Keep light tension on the spool with your finger or thumb to prevent it from overrunning (a variable speed drill is best). And be sure to slowly guide the thread back and forth along the empty spool so it fills it evenly (like a level-wind on a baitcasting reel).

 

A Note on Spools

Why not tie in style?

I save my fly tying thread spools when they run out; however, I happen to be good friends with Dennis Vander Houwen who creates beautiful, vintage looking wooden spools for his Etsy shop, Tenkara Path. They feature a very deep V-cut to the arbor and turn extremely smoothly.

I prefer the Tenkara Path spools to plastic spools and love the way they look on my tying desk and feel in my hand. Plus, they really add class to you fly tying photos!

Get Tenkara Path Wooden Fly Tying Spools!

This DIY trick is so simple and you might even have everything you need already lying around the house somewhere. So now, you have no excuse not to grab one of those spools of sexy metallic thread the next time you’re at Michael’s!

What’s your favorite sewing shop thread and how do you use it?