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Once you have correctly placed the hook in the vice in most cases the next step in tying a fly is generally to place or wind some thread on the hook.

The thread is used primarily to secure materials  to the hook but in many cases is also part of the dressing of the fly.

It doesn't matter if a recipe says "wind thread in touching turns from the eye of the hook to the bend of the hook" or "wind just a little thread at the bend of the hook" or "build up a head of thread" etc. etc. the same following principals apply.
The bobbin should be held in your dominant hand. Right hand for right handed people and left hand for left handed people. Generally the amount of thread between the bobbin and the hook shouldn't be much more than the length of the hook. You may need to put a little more distance between the bobbin and the hook to tie some materials in but if you get too much thread out then you loose some control over what your doing. Conversely if you have too little thread out then you loose flexibility. The bobbin should always come toward you under the fly and away from you above the fly. This means the thread is wound clockwise around the shank of the hook for a right handed fly tier an anti clockwise for a left handed fly tier. The direction you are winding the thread around the hook doesn't change as you build a fly, build up a thread head, whip finish etc. etc.

Flies should be tied with the minimum number of turn of thread that still achieves secure locking in of materials and complete dressing of the fly. Don't put 6 wraps of thread where just two or three will do. If you have too many wraps of thread often the dressing of the fly becomes thick and heavy or you just simply run out of room.  Tension should be applied throughout the complete dressing of a fly so as to avoid materials being loose. If you loose tension you run the risk of the dressing rotating around the shank of the hook or of the fly coming undone as it is fished. The only exception is when the thread is locked in position with a half hitch or if the "fly tiers pinch is being performed".

The actual process of securing thread on the hook for a right handed fly tier is as follows. If you are left handed please remember to switch the instructions around.

Process

A	The position where the thread is generally first tied in is described in most recopies as "the eye of the hook" . I take that to mean from just a little behind the eye of the hook, at the 95% position, rather than right against the eye of the hook. By doing this you will find it easier to build up a neat head on the fly than is often the cases if you made just a few too many wraps of thread when you first tied in your thread right at the eye of the hook. Also when a recipe talks about "touching turns" or "close turns" of thread, keep in mind that each wrap of thread should tight and touch or be close to the previous wrap of thread. You do need to be paranoid about this because the thread is the foundation of the fly and if the foundation is not all there the dressing will rotate on the shank of the hook.

B	Hold the thread by its tip or close to its tip with your left hand across the top of the hook with the thread behind the hook and hold the bobbin in your right hand.

C	Take a wrap of the thread by bringing the thread under the hook toward you and over the hook away from you. Take a second wrap the same still moving toward the eye of the hook.

D	Take a third wrap of the thread this time doubling back over the first two wraps of thread. Remember - the bobbin should always come toward you under the fly and away from you above the fly. This means the thread is wound clockwise around the shank of the hook for a right handed fly tier an anti clockwise for a left handed fly tier. If  you have kept the tension on the thread as you applied the thread it should now be tight on the hook shank.

E	If its obvious that the tag end of the thread is going to be longer than the shank of the hook then whilst still in the region of the thorax area of the fly trim the tag end neatly against the hook shank.

F	Continue making additional wraps of thread (often referred to as "touching turns") as you move down the hook shank toward the bend of the hook.

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