FLY TYING: The High-End World of Bobbins
January 20th, 2026
As a fly tyer and type A personality I love the gadgets of the fly tying world. Scissors, bodkins, brushes and of course bobbins. In the age of CNC machining gone wild the new bobbins are increasingly techier as each new company comes out with their version of high-end Bobbins. I’ve tried just about every new bobbin I can get my hands on from what we sell here at MRFC. Obviously, there are pros and cons to all of them. Different styles, lengths and tensions, disc drags, magnets and everything in between. I’ve put together a comprehensive list of some of the top bobbins we sell at MRFC. In doing so, I hope this helps you decide which bobbin is best for you.
Rite Bobbin Standard Bobbin $31.95
The ol’ standby in my world. This was my first drag adjustment bobbin that practically changed the tying game for me. It allows you to adjust the tension of the thread, sometimes too much, where you can break the thread.
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Easy to tie with.
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It can be a pain to adjust tension with the way the wheel is tucked into the spool holder.
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Very lightweight in hand.
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Nice size in hand.
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All around a great bobbin with good tension.
Smhaen came to play with this bobbin. Great construction and very good design with how the thread is inserted and how the tension is adjusted.
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Ease of changing thread spools.
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Simple design allows for quick adjustment of tensions of thread.
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The tension nut can sometimes slip when spinning fast when it is hit by your hand. This is an easy fix while tying.
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Very lightweight in hand.
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Nice size in hand.
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One of the top bobbins I’ve used.
C&F Design Standard Saltwater Bobbin Holder $72.95
As with all C&F Design products, this bobbin is legit. I personally lean towards the saltwater or streamer bobbins due to the length of the bobbin tip. The lengthier tip allows you to place the thread in a more detailed area no matter the size of the fly you are tying.
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Great length of tip.
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Changing thread can be challenging due to the set up of the tension screws and tube nut inside the thread spool.
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You must use a threader to thread this bobbin due to the foam where the thread inserts.
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Foam insert can be hard to deal with. I’ve had to remove the insert to thread through it and reinsert it into the bobbin to start tying.
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Midweight to lightweight in hand.
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I love the size of the saltwater with the length of the bobbin tip.
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Once correctly set up it’s a great bobbin.
Tiemco Magnetic Bobbin Standard $114.95
Turns out Tiemco discontinued this bobbin, and I completely understand why. Not only was it extremely expensive, it was also very hard to use. It took me at least a few flies to even get the bobbin set up and working correctly. I lost spools of thread many times because I didn’t have the magnetic post that goes through the spool set to the correct length. Let’s just say that Tiemco definitely over-developed this bobbin and thank God they decided against it.
Stonfo is new for us at MRFC. An Italian company that we’ve tip-toed around carrying but all of their items so far have been very well made with high quality control.
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Great length. I chose this bobbin because of the length but I feel some tiers might find the length to be too long.
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Changing spools can be a procedure with the set up of the tube nut, tension screws, and the O rings that the tension screws travel through. It is not that fast of a procedure to change all the time.
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Threading the bobbin can be difficult because my Dr. Slick Threader wasn’t long enough to grab the thread.
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Heavyweight in hand
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Long in length, maybe too long for certain vises.
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Great bobbin in general.
I hope this helps you decide which high-end Bobbin is right for you. If you have any questions please feel free to call us at 800-227-7127 or send us an email at flysho@mrfc.com
MRFC General Manager and Guide, Nick Peterson
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