Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters

When finishing your smallest flies, don’t choose the wrong thread. Wapsi’s UTC 70 Denier Ultra Thread is the perfect choice for cleanly finishing your smaller flies and for creating low profiles on larger artificial fly patterns. This lightly waxed nylon fly tying thread flattens as well as any thread on the market and will keep your creations looking (and fishing) how they should, cast after cast. Wapsi UTC 70 Denier Ultra Thread is available in a staggering array of useful and attractive colors.

Summary

Wapsi’s UTC 70 Denier Ultra Thread is an excellent lightly waxed nylon fly tying thread. It is the perfect choice in fly tying thread for smaller flies and for maintaining low profiles on larger fly recipes. This tremendous fly tying thread sports the appearance of floss. Wapsi’s UTC 70 Denier Ultra Thread is available in a wide range of bright colors for all your fly tying needs.

Details

- 70 Denier (SEE WAPSI UTC SIZE REFERENCE CHART BELOW)
- Nylon
- Appearance of floss
- Lightly waxed
- Great for nymphs and dry flies
- Hook sizes #14 to #32
- Colors: yellow, white, tan, red, olive, brown olive, fluorescent pink, fluorescent chartreuse, fluorescent yellow, fluorescent orange, dark brown, fluorescent cerise, fluorescent shell pink, fluorescent fire orange, fluorescent green, olive green, grey brown, rusty brown, hopper, cream, burnt orange, black, and blue dun

Common patterns

- Micro Mayfly
- Prince Nymph

Leland on UTC 70 Denier Ultra Thread

Selecting an appropriate tool for the job is one of life’s golden rules for efficiency, effectiveness, and ultimately, success. When tying really small fly patterns that require a delicate touch and a clean finish, make sure you select Wapsi’s UTC 70 Denier Ultra Thread. This excellent nylon fly tying thread is the perfect choice for both nymphs and dry flies tied on hooks sized #14 to #32. Its lightly waxed durable construction will not compromise the fishability and durability of your smallest and most delicate creations. It also has the appearance of floss, so use it in your “Royal” fly patterns and Humpy attractor patterns. With Wapsi thread, your flies get results.

Leland on Wapsi

Wapsi may be a relative newcomer to the fly tying thread market, but it is no stranger to the fly tying world. A company known for its unflagging pursuit of providing the fly tying community with materials of exceptional quality, Wapsi has been in the business of inspiring fly tyers throughout North America – and now the world – to produce the very best and most useful flies possible. In 1945 when Lacey Gee started a small fly tying material business based in Iowa it may have seemed a stretch that the company would eventually require a 62,000 square foot warehouse for its products. That may have been a stretch of the imagination, but today it’s reality. Over the years, Wapsi has participated in such innovations as foam popper bodies, grizzly marabou, and hour glass eyes. The innovation continues with Wapsi’s line of UTC threads and wire, the first range of fly tying thread and wire based on denier. Choose Wapsi and wrap your flies with the very best.

Wapsi on UTC 70 Denier Ultra Thread

“Lies flat for less build up on the smallest trout patterns. Great for thread bodied nymphs and midges. Ultra 70 has a breaking strength of approximately 1# and is recommended for size #14 to #32 flies.

Wapsi on UTC Threads

Ultra Thread has been engineered as a fly tying thread from the beginning. It is not an “off the shelf” thread as are many others. All of Ultra Thread’s characteristics were carefully chosen to enhance its tying performance. Here are a few of the thread characteristics that make Ultra Thread ideal for fly tying:

(1) We chose nylon over polyester because nylon will stretch and grip materials better. This allows for more uniform tension and gives the tyer the “feel” for maximum tension. Nylon is the same strength as polyester (given the same denier) and offers the added benefit of more intense colors and a larger range of colors. Because nylon stretches, it grips material tighter and makes the fly more durable.

(2) Our thread is flat with only the minimum number of twists needed for production. This is important because the number of twists in the thread determines how flat it can be wrapped on the hook. The flatter the thread is wrapped, the more slowly it builds up. This is a huge advantage when tying small flies or when tying close to the eye of the hook. A flat thread also grips and covers materials with fewer thread wraps.

(3) Ultra Thread has been lightly waxed. This also limits thread build up and gives the thread a smoother, slicker feel. The added benefit is that head cement fully penetrates the thread which equals more durable flies.

(4) Ultra Thread is a multifilament thread that is not bonded. Bonded threads are oval in shape and are stiff or coarse feeling. Bonded threads also build up fast which is a significant concern when tying small flies. Since Ultra Thread is not bonded, it is the best choice for split thread tying techniques.

(5) Our spools are sized and designed to turn smoothly on standard bobbins. Each spool has a color coded end cap for product identification and to secure the tag end of the thread. In our opinion the best thread made deserves to be spooled on the best spool.

(6) We chose 4 different denier threads in a uniform progression of size and strength to meet every fly tyers needs."
 

Wapsi on Thread Sizing

"Denier is the textile industry’s measuring standard for filament size. To measure a thread’s denier, 9,000 meters of the thread are weighed. If the weight (calculated mass) of the thread is 140 grams, then that thread is considered a 140 denier thread. Using this system it is easy to understand that a 280 denier thread is twice the mass of a 140 thread and, thus, is larger in diameter and stronger. We are confident that all fly tying thread manufacturers and distributors will soon classify all of their thread in this manner.

Currently most fly thread brands uses the “0” (Aught) system. In this system the larger the number in front of the “0” the smaller the thread. For instance 8/0 thread is thinner than 6/0 thread. This numbering system is totally arbitrary and varies widely between the manufacturers. When comparing threads of different brands, we suggest you do not use the Aught system because the only accurate way to compare sizes of threads is by denier."

Scott Sanchez on Wapsi

”Wapsi isn't a newcomer to fly tying, but has only recently entered the thread market. Wapsi is based in the US, and also distributes many other thread brands. Wapsi Ultra Thread is nylon, and has the appearance of floss. There is almost no twist and it flattens as well as any thread available. It is similar to Danville Flat Waxed Nylon, but available in smaller sizes. It has a shiny finish and the fluorescent colors are brilliant. It is a great substitute for floss. Both sizes are identical in feel and color. It is very easy to make multiple-turn whip finishes, and it creates very smooth heads on flies. Ultra Thread is lightly waxed. Wapsi is the first thread company to actively promote denier thread sizing. Spools are marked with color and size and include a color coded end cap to hold the thread end.

UTC 70. An excellent thread for small flies and low bulk big flies. The spreading nature of the thread makes it easy to tie low-profile flies. 18 colors.

UTC 140. A great thread for flies #14 and larger. Useful for tying flies such as the Madam X, hoppers and Clousers. A good substitute for floss; 18 colors

UTC 280. A nice flat thread for smooth heads on large flies and for tying bulky materials such as hair and wool. It makes excellent tags on steelhead flies; 10 colors.

Mono. Clear and smoke in .004 and .006.”

Wapsi on Wapsi

“In 1945, Lacey Gee of Independence, Iowa began a fly tying business. With some financial help and encouragement from the owner of Wapsi Produce Company, Lacey established the Wapsi Fly Company. Previously, he had been employed by the poultry processing plant, which provided a ready source of feathers. That, along with incentive, imagination and a good deal of skill in fly tying, became the basis for his new business. The name, "Wapsi," was a natural, as the buildings housing it were located on the banks of the Wapsipinicon River. The first few years were a near break-even proposition with most flies going to individuals and small accounts. Profits came largely from the sale of thousands of rooster necks to two eastern distributors.

By the late 1940's, business was looking up. No longer were there sales to individuals. Approximately 16 women tied full time for several wholesale accounts. They produced better than 15,000 flies per week. The flies accounted for about 1/3 of the business. Packaged materials and bulk feathers made up the balance.

Over the years, Wapsi has introduced many fly tying products: Lead Eyes, Wooly Bugger Marabou, Dyed Grizzly Marabou, Soft Tanned Rabbit Skins, Dyed Pheasant Skins, Mylar Cord, three sizes of Ultra Chenille, Razor Foam, Thin Skin, Foam Popper Bodies, Fly Tails, Sili Legs, and Hour Glass Eyes. Such high quality dubbings as Camel, Antron, Angora Goat and Superfine are all processed at Wapsi. Premo Deer Hair, Lead Free Wire and Lead Free Eyes are also Wapsi firsts.

Today, Wapsi fills 62,000 square feet with plans to continue expansion. Wapsi is pleased to be a part of a growing industry where we can count our competitors as friends.

We are proud of all of these accomplishments and plan to continue working hard to bring quality materials and ideas to fly tyers. You are our inspiration and motivation.”