What the Experts Use

Intro | Brands | Comparison | Experts

Since thread selection is part education and personal preference, I thought I would leave you with the thread favorites of some of the people I feel are expert fly tiers.

Chris Helm (the bass bug guru). Helm likes heavy GSP threads for hair bugs. For other flies, he prefers Gudebrod. He also likes the new Wapsi threads in some situations.

Tom Travis (spring creek guide and Orvis contract tier). Travis has used Uni 8/0 since it first became available. He likes the consistent colors, but he can't live with out Fly Master in light olive and coffee. On very small flies he uses Benecchi 12/0. On saltwater flies he likes fine mono thread in conjunction with epoxy.

Johnny Boyd (owner of Montana Tie'm and contract tier for Frontier Flies). He likes Gudebrod in all sizes. It is flat, waxed and strong.

Marv Nolte (premier Atlantic salmon fly tier). Nolte owns 500 spools of Danville 6/0. He prefers it over all other threads because it lays flat and he is familiar with it. The stretch in the nylon tells him when to back off to prevent breakage, and he knows exactly how much room a few wraps takes.

Brandt Oswald (precise tier and outdoor writer). Oswald likes Danville Flymaster. He likes the stretch, the fact that it builds up slowly, and the color range. He is also impressed with Wapsi Ultra thread. The 70 denier is similar to Flymaster and the fluorescent colors are gorgeous.

Scott Sanchez (author of this article). On spring creek flies, I like 10/0 and 8/0 Gudebrod. For most average size trout flies, I use 8/0 Uni, and I can't live without Rusty Brown. I also use red Wapsi 70 for "Royal" fly patterns and chartreuse for flies of that color. For hoppers, Madam X and big nymphs, I use Gudebrod 3/0 or Wapsi 140 depending on color. For bonefish flies, I like good old Danville 3/0 Monocord. It is the right size and has the correct colors. On bass bugs, I use Gudebrod "G" or Danville's Flymaster Plus and if I have marginal hair, I resort to Uni-cord. Overall, my preference is flat, waxed and with a little stretch.

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