Every fly you tie starts and ends with thread, yet most tiers pick it up based on whatever color happens to be in the bin. On this episode we talked with the owner of Chinook Wind Outfitters, a fly and materials distributor that grew out of a tiny shop in a town of about 3,000 people, hundreds of miles from the nearest place to buy tying supplies. Their story is a fun one, but the most useful thing for tiers was our guest's take on materials quality, and especially on why the right thread changes how your flies look and how long they last.
From an Old Kit to a One-Stop Shop
Our guest got into fly fishing the way a lot of us did: a friend took him out, and in less time he caught 2 fish while the friend caught 18. He looked at the flies, decided he needed to learn to tie them, and the friend dug out an old beginner tying kit. He tied on it for a long time. That's worth remembering if you're on the fence about starting: you don't need an expensive setup to learn. A basic vise and a handful of materials will carry you a long way, and you'll know exactly what to upgrade once you've tied a few hundred flies.
Eventually he got tired of ordering everything from far away and started stocking materials himself. Today the business sells everything from rods and reels to materials, but flies and tying supplies remain the core, backed by a tying team and both an online store and a brick-and-mortar shop.
What Makes Good Tying Thread
Our guest said the threads he recently started carrying genuinely surprised him, and the three qualities he called out are the same ones every tier should look for:
- Fine for its size. Thread is sold by size (like 3/0, 6/0, 8/0, where a bigger number is generally finer) or by denier (the weight of the fiber, where lower is finer). A finer thread builds less bulk, so you get slimmer bodies, neater heads and more room on the hook for materials.
- Lies flat. A thread that lies flat instead of staying round covers the hook shank in fewer wraps and gives you smooth, even underbodies. On small dries and chironomids that difference is visible. Tip: if your thread starts to twist into a rope, spin the bobbin counterclockwise to flatten it, or clockwise when you want a tight cord for segmenting or a strong tie-in.
- Strong for its diameter. This is the one that matters most when you're cranking down on deer hair or tying in a heavy bead. A thread that's fine but weak snaps at the worst moment; one that's fine and strong lets you use real tension, which is what makes a fly durable.
The practical takeaway: match thread size to the job. Something in the 3/0 range for spinning hair, big streamers and leeches; 6/0 as an all-around trout thread; 8/0 and finer for small dries, midges and chironomids. Then pick a brand that's flat and strong, because the cheap round stuff costs you more in wraps, bulk and broken thread than it saves.
Tie for Your Water First
The guest's region is loaded with variety: stillwaters, rivers, lake trout, whitefish and more, and he ties a lot of leeches, muddlers and stillwater patterns. His advice for growing as a tier, and for growing a business, was the same: start with the fish in your area and the patterns you're comfortable tying, then expand. If you fish lakes, that means mastering a slim chironomid (where flat, fine thread really shines), a balanced leech and a damsel nymph before chasing exotic patterns. Tie a dozen of each until they look identical. Consistency catches more fish than variety.
He also talked about the challenges of sourcing materials consistently and the need to find suppliers whose quality standard is reliable. For your own bench, that means buying from shops that stand behind their materials. A bad batch of dubbing or brittle hackle wastes an evening.
Gear
We don't sell tying thread or materials, so for the thread sizes above, visit your local fly shop where you can see and feel the thread before you buy. For the tying bench itself, an FFIP Anglers Coffee Mug is the right companion for a long winter night of filling fly boxes, and our Tips and Tricks for Fly Fishing eBook helps you put those flies to work once the season opens.
