Fly Tying Thread Table

In this table I try to summarize all available data on all current (and some discontinued) fly-tying threads. It accompanies the in-depth article on the subject of tying threads, aught, Denier and much more.
Much of the information presented here has been compiled from whatever data was available from the different manufacturers and their distributors and dealers as well as some independent sources. Care has been taken to double check everything, and whenever there were different specs on a thread, I have taken the one that gave the most benefit to it - not that this is necessarily right, but to be fair and let the doubt benefit the manufacturer. Many manufacturers don't specify the physical properties of their threads - like thickness, Denier, breaking strength, material or production method. Some are very secretive and some simply don't have the information commonly available. The various columns are explained below the table.

Tying thread table
Click the headers to sort. 121 tying threads listed.

See the main article for more on tying threads.

Articles in this series

• Fly Tying Thread Blues
• Fly Tying Thread Charts
• Fly Tying Thread Table

General tying thread notes

Note

The thread data is frequently updated as new sources or products appear - or old sources reveal new information.
I try to follow the development, but it's a tough job!
If you see any errors or missing products, feel free to contact me at martin@globalflyfisher.com.
Update Jan 2018: My own measurements in the table are all in millimeters, but for some reason the system was set up to do a calculation on the diameter in inches where available, which was the first information I got from a variety of sources before I started measuring the threads myself.
This led to some errors, like the UNI-thread 6/0 being thinner than the 8/0 - which it isn't.
The table now lists the actual measured diameters in millimeters wherever that has been made by me, then selects the specified diameter in millimeters if available and finally falls back to a calculation based on the specified diameter in inches when only that is available.

Material

Mono is monofilament nylon. Silk is natural silk. The rest are synthetic multifilament threads produced using different methods. Two threads made from the same material can be very diferent.

Aught

The most common way to indicate thickness. Not a physical standard. Larger number means thinner thread, so 8/0 is thinner than 6/0.

Denier

The weight in grams of 9000 meters of thread. A physical standard used in the textile industry, but not an indication of thickness or strength.

Dia.

Diameter in millimeters (mm). As specified by the manufaturer or measured by me or others.

Test

The breaking strength or test of the thread in grams (g). The number is the highest found if values from different sources differ.

Denier/mm

A simple calculation of what the Denier would be if the thread was 1 millimeter thick, and a way to compare the Deniers for the different threads. Ideally this number should be the same for threads made from the same material, but the numbers clearly indicate that the Denier number does not help us much in comparing even almost identical threads. Denier and thickness are NOT correlated.

Denier and thickness are NOT correlated.

Absolute strength*

The absolute breaking strength of the thread compared to all other threads and not taking diameter or material into consideration..

Relative dia

A visual indication of the relative thickness of the thread compared to others. Not to measure in any way! Just a visualization.

Relative strength*

An indication of the relative strength of the thread compared to its diameter and the other threads. Not an absolute measurement! Thin threads can be as relatively strong as thick ones. The numbers indicate breaking strength in relation to diameter.

Flatability **

The thread's ability to flatten when tied in. Sometimes requires the thread to be untwisted.

Splitability **

The thread's ability to split when used for the split thread dubbing technique.

Smoothness **

How slippery or smooth the thread is against the hook shank or materials. Its ability to "grip" materials.

*

The textual strength indications are based on calculations and data comparisons and the groups are defined by the me. They are objective, based on numbers, but you may disagree with my scale.

**

These properties are assessed by me based on threads that I have tied with. I have only added data for unseen mono threads, which are basically all very smooth, round and can't be split.

Disclaimer

I have researched very thorughly to collect and confirm the data in the tables, and gathered and compared and averaged numbers and information from many sources - and measured thread myself when possible. If numbers have varied, I have selected the "best" number for the thread (thinnest, strongest). I'd be very happy to get missing (or more correct) numbers from the manufacturers who haven't published such information - or from other tyers or dealers who have measured or tested the threads. The more precise this info, the better for the fly-tyers. Contact me via e-mail martin@globalflyfisher.com.