Published Apr 25. 2012 - 8 years ago
Updated or edited Aug 8. 2015

Bobbin help

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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

Submitted by:
flytyer

Submitted by Crackaig on Wed, 2012-04-25 23:45
For 90% of the time I would...

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.

Submitted by flytyer on Thu, 2012-04-26 08:26
Thanks for the advice! :D...

Thanks for the advice! :D

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