Fly Tying

In the fly tying world, the advent of Gel Spun Polyethylene (GSP) threads has marked a revolution due to its qualities. There are a lot of articles written about GSP, one of the most complex is the one written on the GFF Blog by Martin. In order not to write a long story with many details, I will briefly present my new love: the new GSP type thread from Trout Line: The Sumo Power- Fly Tying Thread.

Sumo threads are made of Gel Spun Polyethylene yarns, and are characterised by their exceptional strength, minimal stretch (between 2% and 6%), and remarkable smoothness. Being 15 times stronger than steel, Sumo threads like all GSP Threads have swiftly become the one of my favourite day by day type of thread.

Sumo Thread Features:

1. Strength in Simplicity: Sumo threads are very slightly twisted multifilaments, allowing them to lie flat on the hook shank. This characteristic makes them ideal for techniques like the split thread, enabling the incorporation of dubbing or other materials.
2. Smooth Operator: Perfect for smooth and flat bodies. But the threads’ smoothness can pose a challenge when dubbing is added. However, a touch of wax easily resolves this issue, giving tyers optimal control over the tying process.
3. Dyeing Dilemma: GSP threads, including Sumo, can be more challenging to dye, often limiting the color options to black and white. Yet, the white variants open the door to customization using permanent markers.

Sumo 30DEN and 50DEN Technical Thread Details:

• Standard Spools: Designed for convenience in every tying session.
• Length: Each spool contains 100 meters of thread, ensuring longevity.
• Denier: Sumo threads are available in 30D and 50DEN, representing a fine diameter suitable for any type of fly patterns.
• Thread Thickness: Rated at 18/0-30DEN and 16/0-50DEN, offering a slim profile for precise and delicate tying.
• Breaking Strength: the breaking point for 30DEN is 1010 grams for the black color variant and 900 grams for the white variant.
• Breaking strength for the thread with 50DEN is 1480 grams for black color, 1085 grams for white color

Advantages of Sumo Power Thread:

• UV and Abrasion Resistance: Sumo threads boast resilience against UV rays and abrasion, ensuring the longevity of your fly patterns.
• Versatile Thin Bodies: Due to their exceptional strength, tiers can utilise very thin threads, facilitating the creation of flies with slender bodies.
• Technique Mastery: Sumo threads allow for diverse techniques like the dubbing loop and thread split without resulting in bulky bodies, offering flexibility to tiers.
• Flat Body Artistry: Crafting flat bodies becomes effortless with the soft and pleasant-to-tie Sumo threads.
• Non-Elastic Nature: The threads’ lack of elasticity ensures precise and controlled tying, enhancing the overall fly tying experience.
• Varnish and Resin Compatibility: Sumo threads readily absorb varnishes and resins, streamlining the finishing touches of your fly patterns.

Considerations and Challenges:

• Color Palette: While black and white are readily available, other color options for GSP threads, including Sumo, are relatively rare.
• Investment in Quality: Acknowledging their exceptional qualities, GSP threads may not fall into the category of budget-friendly threads.

Famous brands such as Veevus, Uni Canada, Semperfli, Gudebrod and Textreme (Textreme provides the thinnest gel spun polyethylene thread thread you can find) offer these threads in spools with threads from 10DEN to 200DEN and lengths from 50m to 100m.

Here you can read more more about Sumo Power Thread in 50DEN.