Pinpoint Your Plant Placement With a Fly Tying Bobbin

by James Montgomery
There are many ways to attach plants to rocks, driftwood, and other materials.  The advances in cyanoacrylate glues have made fast sticking super strong glues available cheaply.  Rubber bands and wire clips also work well. However there’s one tool that I like to use to fasten plants to objects when I can.  The fly tying bobbin works great for this job.

The fly tying bobbin is made to wrap a fishing fly with thread, and attach tiny feathers and materials to make lures that imitate bait.  The thread must apply the thread accurately and neatly.  This is something that also is needed for the aquarium plants in a well manicured tank.

The bobbin lets you pinpoint your fastening locations.

The longer the bobbin neck is the more well suited it will be for aquarium plants.  The long needle like arm that the thread passes through makes near surgical accuracy possible.  Moss, stem plants, and rhizomatous plants alike can be attached with deliberate accuracy.  The best fly tying bobbins to use are for saltwater flies and for large hair flies as the tube is longer on the tip.  This makes it easier to work around plant stems and leaves.

To start with a number of loops is made to secure the polyester thread to the object you are using.  About a dozen wraps against the end of the thread will do.  Simply attach your plants while turning the tip of the bobbin along your project.  Once done simply tie it off or you can make a loop with a reusable piece of string to help pull the tag end of the cut thread through itself to fasten it.

It really is a simple way to accurately and quickly attach plants to your hardscape.  Making a wabi kusa, Biotop, insularium or any other planted project will become very easy.  Applying polyester thread with pinpoint accuracy speeds up your projects and makes them look better.  Try it out and you might be surprised at your results.