Bobbin help

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Martin

Fly tying - Tie Better

I'm trying to make a choice between buying ceramic bobbins and regular metal bobbins. Which is a better choice for tying saltwater flies?

Thanks

For 90% of the time I would go for ceramic. Either insert or full tube. The only exception to this I have found is Matarelli bobbin holders. The metal tube on these is hard enough not to wear.

To give you an idea I can wear out a metal tubed bobbin holder in about a month. Some of my ceramic ones are still going after 10 years. They do cost more initially. Mostly I use TMC bobbin holders (though I modify them by removing the rubber tubing and replacing with hot melt glue around the joint). They cost about 4 times the price, but are worth every penny.

If you are tying mostly salt water patterns you will be using more pressure and more thread than if you were tying, say, trout patterns. That means you'll wear groves into the tube even faster.

Cheers,
C.

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