Paul Adams has an interesting approach to home brew fly tying bobbins:
I would do it a bit differently (based on my own experiments):
1 --> Bend the wire in half around a nail or the like -- or use round nose pliers.
2 --> Use a pair of flat nose pliers to bend up the U so the tube can cradle in it
3 --> Wrap the cradled tube -- and a plastic tube is just one way to go -- between the arms, with of course a projecting spout.
4 --> Bead and bend to get the desired springy grip on the bobbin. (And, the holder can be set to take a sewing machine sized bobbin not just the usual cotton reel, too).
5 --> To go with it, you need a long nosed threader.
6 --> I would use a hollow plastic tube like some plastic hangers or -- perfect -- those tubes that sometimes come with shoes.
7 --> With fine stainless wire, I would bend a tight U with several inches on either side. Epoxy the other end into the tube, suitably cut to length. A bit of broken off toothpick or two may help, Or also, a dab of CYA "super" glue (or even hot melt) to set before epoxy. Epoxy is very strong.
8 --> I also go down about 1/4 inch and make a diamond by bending in two inward facing V's and a bit further on, two outward facing ones. Much like a typical sewing needle threader. (Make an extra or two for wife, Mum, or sis!)
9 --> Similarly, a length of tube can be used to mount a sewing needle point out, to make a fly tyer's bodkin. (This is a very useful general purpose light duty probe and pick.)
10 --> If a pair of thicker wire lengths are whipped together at one end with thread and are mounted with the two points outwards, that too is useful.
11 --> You can home brew scalpel-tipped knives by splitting ends of pencil-sized dowelling and binding in then gluing scalpel blades. (I suspect much the same can be done with broken bits of hacksaw, which can be sharpened into surprisingly effective mini knives.)
12 --> Once you see patterns, you can similarly bend whip finishers (Matarelli style is probably best), and even hackle type pliers (double over at the jaw ends, and cover with tubing . . . in my days of a lot of soldering that would have been of great help).
13 --> Then of course there is the home brew fly tying/craft workstation.
14 --> I forgot, you can mount a needle nose Vice Grip type pair of pliers on a stand and use as an extra or improv fly tying hook or jig etc holding vice.
A few thoughts for what to do on a rainy day with a few tools . . . END
