Danville Fly Tying Thread Quick Picks
- Best All-Around: Danville 6/0 (70 Denier) Flymaster Thread - The pre-waxed nylon that generations of tyers learned on, for dries, nymphs and most trout flies. It lays flat, builds very little bulk and comes on a 200-yard spool.
- Best for Deer Hair and Big Flies: Danville 210 Denier Flat Waxed Thread - The heavy, flat thread for bass bugs, saltwater flies and anything with spun or stacked hair. Danville rates it at over 65 ounces of breaking strength, and the flat profile keeps hair heads smooth.
- Best Mid-Size: Danville 140 Denier Waxed Flymaster Plus Thread - For streamers, bass patterns and larger nymphs when 70 denier feels light and 210 is overkill. Waxed, flat-laying and offered in classic Danville colors from Adams Gray to FL Shrimp Pink.
- Best for Midges: Danville 16/0 White Spiderweb Thread - An ultra-thin thread for Tricos, winter midges and the smallest BWOs, where crowding the eye is the usual failure. Stronger than it looks, and white takes a marker if you need color.
- Best for Weighting: Danville Spooled Lead Wire - Six diameters from .010 inch to .035 inch for underbodies on midges through large streamers. It adds weight, helps build taper and seats a bead cleanly.
How to Choose Danville Fly Tying Thread
Aught and denier: Danville uses both
Action: Read the denier when it is printed and the aught number when it is not. Danville's 6/0 Flymaster is 70 denier, the Flymaster Plus sizes are 140 and 210 denier, the Flat Waxed is 210 denier, 3/0 Monocord is over 115 denier, and Spiderweb is sized 16/0. A higher denier is a thicker, stronger thread; a higher aught number is thinner.
Best for: 6/0 (70 denier) Flymaster for dries, nymphs and small trout patterns, which covers most of a trout box. 140 denier Flymaster Plus for mid-sized to larger flies such as streamers, bass flies and saltwater patterns. Danville 210 Denier Waxed Flymaster Plus Thread and the 210 Flat Waxed for spinning deer hair, large jigs, streamers and saltwater flies on big hooks.
Flat, round and waxed: how the Danville threads behave
Action: All of the Danville nylon threads here are pre-waxed, which gives them grip on materials and dubbing without added wax. The Flymaster and Flat Waxed threads lay flat when the bobbin hangs untwisted, so you get a smooth body or hair head; spin the bobbin to cord the thread round when you want more bite on a final cinch.
Best for: Danville 3/0 Waxed Monocord when you need minimal stretch for large wet flies, streamers and steelhead and salmon flies. It is a bonded multi-fiber thread with a breaking strength over 25 ounces, and it holds tension without creeping the way a stretchier thread can.
Avoid if: You rely on split-thread dubbing. Waxed thread is harder to open with a needle; use a conventional dubbing loop with Danville or pick an unwaxed thread for that technique.
Monofilament, wire and floss
Best for: Danville .006 Monofilament Thread on Mysis shrimp, scud ribs and any translucent fly where thread color would show through. It virtually disappears under head cement and epoxy.
Action: Pick lead wire diameter by hook size: .010 and .015 inch for midges and small nymphs .020 and .025 inch for standard nymphs, and .030 and .035 inch for streamers. Danville Fine Wire in gold or silver is the thin ribbing wire for buggers, nymphs and emergers, on 20-yard spools.
Tip: Danville Acetate Floss is a 900-denier floss that fuses into a hard, translucent shell when touched with acetone, which makes it useful for nymph cases, shellbacks and tags beyond ordinary floss bodies.
Why Trident Carries Danville
Danville Chenille Company has been spooling thread in Danville, New Hampshire for decades, and Flymaster 6/0 is still the thread many pattern recipes assume. The waxed nylon is forgiving for new tyers, and the range covers the odd jobs too: Spiderweb for the smallest midges, Monocord for salmon flies, mono thread for translucent patterns and lead wire for weighting. It is reliable, inexpensive and made close to home.
Materials & Durability
- Keep waxed thread cool: Wax softens in a hot car or sunny window and can gum the bobbin tube. Store spools in a closed box at room temperature.
- Seal mono heads: Monofilament thread is slick, so whip finish twice and lock it with super glue or UV resin.
- Handle lead wire carefully: Wash your hands after wrapping lead underbodies and keep the spool away from food and kids' tying kits.
- Cover lead with thread: Wrap over a lead underbody with thread and a drop of cement so the wire does not shift and the body stays tapered.
Complete Your Setup
Related Gear
- Fly Tying Thread, Tinsel & Wire - Compare Danville with UTC, Veevus and UNI by size and finish.
- Fly Tying Bobbins - A smooth bobbin tube matters most with fine thread like Spiderweb.
- Nymph Hooks - Heavier-wire hooks to pair with lead underbodies and beads.
- Fly Tying Hair & Fur - Deer and elk hair for the bass bugs and caddis you will tie with 210 denier.
Related Guides
- How to Tie the Mayer's Mysis Fly Pattern
- How To Tie A Scud Fly Pattern
- How to Tie the Zebra Midge Fly
- How to Tie a Royal Wulff Dry Fly
- How to Tie a Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear
Danville Fly Tying Thread FAQs
Q: Is Danville thread waxed?
A: Yes. The Flymaster, Flymaster Plus, Flat Waxed and Monocord threads are all pre-waxed nylon, which gives them grip on materials and makes dubbing easier. The monofilament thread and Spiderweb are the exceptions.
Q: Is Danville 6/0 the same as 70 denier?
A: For Danville, yes: the 6/0 Flymaster is a 70 denier thread and is labeled both ways. Keep in mind that aught sizes vary between brands, so another maker's 6/0 may be thicker or thinner.
Q: What is the difference between Danville 210 Flat Waxed and 210 Flymaster Plus?
A: Both are 210 denier waxed nylon rated for deer hair, jigs, streamers and saltwater flies. The Flat Waxed is the classic flat thread that spreads wide for hair work; the Flymaster Plus comes on 100-yard spools. Pick by the color you need, since the two carry different color lists.
Q: What is Danville Monocord?
A: 3/0 Waxed Monocord is a bonded multi-fiber thread with very little stretch and a breaking strength over 25 ounces. It is a traditional choice for large wet flies, streamers and salmon and steelhead flies where you want tension to hold without creeping.
Q: Which Danville thread should I use for midges?
A: 16/0 White Spiderweb for the smallest patterns, Tricos and winter midges where every wrap counts. For size 18 and larger midges and small dries, the 6/0 (70 denier) Flymaster is thin enough and easier to handle.
Q: What sizes does Danville lead wire come in?
A: Six diameters: .010, .015, .020, .025, .030 and .035 inch. Use the thinnest sizes on midges and small nymphs, the middle sizes on standard nymphs, and .030 and .035 on streamers and large stoneflies.
Danville Warranty & Resources
Danville Chenille Company is a manufacturer and wholesaler that sells through fly shops, and like other thread makers it does not publish a consumer warranty for spooled materials. For questions beyond what is on the spool, check the Danville Chenille Company website or contact Trident. If a spool from us arrives damaged, short or mislabeled, we will replace it.
Learn More from Danville
- Danville Chenille Company - The manufacturer's site, with the full thread, floss, chenille and wire catalog.