Have you ever watched a tier at a fly fishing show spin his bobbin holder every few minutes? What is he doing?
He is flattening his tying thread. All thread comes from the manufacturer with a slight twist to it. Some have more than others. By spinning the thread counter-clockwise, you can remove the twist making the thread flat. Why do you want a flat thread? First, it will not kink. Second, a flat thread is not as likely to cut the materials. Finally, it will not add bulk to the fly.
Can you flatten too much? Yes, when this happens, the individual fibers will splay too much. To correct this, unwrap a few wraps and spin the bobbin clockwise.
Bye the way, you will need a good pair of scissors to cut the thread. Most fly tiers have two pair. One, a cheap pair to cut tinsel and wire. Another pair to cut hackle and thread. Wapsi now has a pair of fine scissors made to their specifications just for fly tiers.
They are made of the finest stainless steel and can be resharpened. One blade is serrated for cutting deer hair. The hair will not bunch up in front of the cut. The scissors are also excellent for trimming your mustache. If your fly shop does not have them, ask them to order them from Wapsi.
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