I use the blue dental floss pullers from the Health Care dept.. I bet they are the same thing.
About the bobbins. A good while back we talked at a good deal about the thread and bobbins. You mentioned you would loose about 18" of thread to preload the bobbin or to lock the bobbin after finishing the fly. I had the old bobbin and you had the new ones. After I got some the new ones I found out what you meant. The old bobbin will preload with a couple of inches of thread extracted. When the fly was finished, Just a pull of about six inches was all that was needed to lock the bobbin. The thread would stay put. To start the next fly you would start the thread on the hook, give the bobbin a light pull and the bobbin would retract right up to the hook. NOT SO with the new bobbins, You have to extract about 18 inches of thread to load it. If you don't preload, the bobbin will drop almost to the floor when you start tying and let the bobbin go. Like you, I have had long talks with Norm on this. Norm suggests that you preload the bobbin the first time. When the bobbin is pre loaded, keep it that way till your tying session is over. You use a hackle pliers for this, I use the button on the end post as Larry does. To me this would discourage some tyers from using the auto bobbin. I have three sets of the new bobbins that are in the draw seldom used, I use the only old one I have 99% of the time. Another problem is the hole in the new spools are larger than the old ones so they are loose in the old retractor. I have put an oversize "0" ring on the old retractor so I can use the new spools and change back to the thinner "0" ring for the old spools
At times I am forced to use the new bobbin. I preload the spool, re wrap the extended thread back on the spool, one of my new bobbins has the thread extended almost 20" . It seems I always grab that one. This is the bobbin that I lock the thread at the button on the post. The old bobbin is a dream to use, Wish he had a couple that I could get from him.
Norm says he had to make a change in the spring material because of returns due to spring breakage. I told him I would buy any old type bobbins he might have. He has none for sale.
Like You, I make it work, but I am not happy with it but then again, it is almost impossible to tie Norlander style with the auto bobbin.
Alan,
When I see you in March I will give you a demo between the two.
Tony
Tony
Joyce's crafts and flies wrote:
Bill, go to your nearest Walmart or such store. Look for a box of blue nylon floss threaders. Buy it (about 1.98). Never use wire bobbin threaders on any bobbin..they cause scratches, even on the hardest ceramics..and you will regret it when your thread starts to fray or break just at a most critical moment. Now having these (or using a loop of mono if you don't have them yet) unwind the bobbin so that you have at least 1 inch more of thread that will stick out the end of the bobbin when it is threaded. Now, flip the thread around the leg of the bobbin, stick in the floss threader, use the tip of your scissors (already in your right hand), to flip the end of the thread through the loop of the floss threader and pull the end of the floss threader out the end of the bobbin. Works like a charm. I always put my hackle pliers on the end of the thread next to the end of the bobbin before I ever cut it off from the flly. That way, no thread is wasted and that hackle pliers makes a great handle for me (with my old eyes) to use to find the thread end and start the wind around the next hook. Each inch of wasted thread costs money..you can tie several flies extra if you use the hackle pliers on the end of the thread method. Hope this helps. Joyce
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