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Fly lines

6K views 62 replies 14 participants last post by  RouseD 
#1 ·
Just wanted to hear some discussion on WF floating fly lies. I have been using Scientific Angler brand, and the line costs about $25. Forgot the name. One of my friends uses Cortland 333, which is about the same price I think. Wondering if anyone likes the slightly higher priced lines better than either of these. If so, what floating fly lines do you like best? If you use a higher priced line, which of those l;ines do you like best, and is it worth it just to get out 10 more feet?
 
#2 ·
Everyone has there own particular likes and dislikes on line/lures/trucks and so on. Some lines are made for warm water, cold water, fresh water, salt water and light and heavy duty use. I say if you are comfortable with the lines you are using, continue to do so. Lots of lines out there from $15 to $$$, just depends on what you want to spend to have fun.

So times we step out of our comfort zone and try new items. Get a new updated line and give it a shot. Worst case senario is you like it, or maybe not. If you don't give it to one of your buddies.
 
#3 ·
I love the Cortland 333 line. I have the bass bug taper on my 8wt and the trout taper on my 3wt, and I love them both. Like Scott said, it's all about what is comfortable to you. But me personally, I can't justify spending more on a WFF when the 333 is so inexpensive.
 
#5 ·
I will definitely second the thumbs down on the Cortland Fair Play worst trash I have ever used. I use Jackson Cardinal Silver Tip I get it from a friend For about $15. I have no problems with it at all and it wears well. It doesn't get sticky in warm water like some of the high end trout lines. So I am happy with the lower priced, not lower quality, product.
 
#6 ·
I believe the Neuse Sports Shop in Kinston carries the Jackson Cardinal flylines, or they use to. Like Deepblu says..about $15 so its easy to trash if it doesn't perform to expections. They also had some of the fly rods from Jackson Cardinal and they seem to perform quite well.
 
#10 ·
Great info here. Thanks everyone. Hope to see more on the subject, and love all the stuff about fly rods also. I am thinking that for the price, the SA Air Cell, and the Cortland are bnoth very good.
Scott the only fly line I am seeing at NSS now is Fenwick, but one or 2 of some they must be getting rid of. One of those is the size I was looking for, and it may be the line that deepblu505 mentioned, I believe I did see Silver Tip on that line, so I will go back and get that to try it out. NSS seems to be just half hearted in the fly fishing dept. now. Checked at one more sports shop near tarheel fly flinger's, and they mainly had level line. Don't want that. Wish we had a good dependable fly fishing shop in Kinston, but that will never happen here.
Anyone ever try the Cortland 555? I got some of that for half price, and that was way to much for clothes line. lol I let tarheel fly flinger, and YAKATTACK FLT FLINGER both try it, and both of them told me to use it for clothes line. I was not as good on my cast then as I am now. Thought it was me, but it wasn't.
I am learning more about the uses for trout fly lines, cold water, and warm water lines. I use my SA air Cell for everything. It can be difficult at times in cold water, but I can still use it. Actually, lately, I have been able to cast it well when the water temp is around 50 degs.
 
#13 ·
Went back to NSS yesterday. The fly line I saw was the Silver Tip line that deepblu505 mentioned. Will be giving it a try. That was the only fly line they had of that brand left. WF6F, and just what I wsa looking for. Imagine that.
 
#15 ·
If NSS has a decent supply of fly line the day aftert Christmas, I can get it for 30 % off, but still not as good a price as that Darrin. I did pick up a spool of SA Air Cell WF7F at the 30 % sale, and the original price was about $23.
 
#16 ·
I like Scott's advice...if it works for you....and there are "boat" load of lines on the market. Reviewing the offerings by Scientific Anglers, Rio, and Cortland (the 3 manufacturers in this country) can be a little mind-boggling. I'd recommend staying with one of those brands. Then, if you get into studying the profiles of the lines and the specs on the taper and body demensions of both WF and DT lines, it can become even more of a challenge to make a decision.

Some of what you wind up using is based on the inventory of shops and stores in your areas. Some of the chain stores or general tackle shops will carry the lower priced, more economical lines. Specialty fly shops probably tend to gravitate toward the premium lines in the $65+ range. Typical advice from fly shops and literature is to buy a premium line...since it and the rod are the key ingredients in performance (along with your skill...) The premium lines should be offering the latest in platicizers, UV resistance, floatability, slickness and the latest advances in the development of variations on standard WF and DT tapers and color changes and high-floating tip materials. Whew!

Some of the higher priced lines don't alway work out. (after it was introduced several years ago, Cortland 555 was a hit in some parts of the country and a disaster in other areas...Rio Gold has been "improved" for this year) Generally, however, I can usually always recommend a more expensive line with confidence that it will perform to a customer's satisfaction, especially if we consider when and how the line is going to be used most of the time. Will it be a line for wide open water like rivers, ponds and sounds...or is it going to be a line for short cast on wild trout streams? Is the customer begining fly fishing...or a veteran with good casting technique... And, if it doesn't work out okay, I'll swap it out or in some cases the company has given the customer a new line.

My best selling lines are the SA GPX (and lately their textured series), the Rio Grands and Rio Golds, and the Royal Wulff Triangle Tapers (which are usually my pick) . The Rio Mainstream lines are at the $39 price point and they have also done quite well, especially since they offer some of the premium tapers designs in a moderately priced line, both for trout and bass...especially for bass etc. I've carried an imported line by Flycast Outfitters, which has done well for about $22, and continue to stock the SA Air Cel for that price point and to help meet a customer's budget. I also continue to stock the longtime favorite, Cortland 444 in peach color...since a lot of die-hard fly fishermen refuse to use anything else.

Will a premium line give you 10 more feet of distance?...sometimes yes...sometimes no. But a clean line, improved technique and "hauling" (and maybe a different rod) certainly will. And, just for the sake of argument ( I meant to say discussion) ...a traditional WF and DT line will both perform about the same out to distances of about 35 feet..and if you are trying to roll cast that distance or more, the DT will excel. If economy is a primary objective, the DT line can be reversed when the front half is worn out. Having said that, WF lines are still the big seller...
 
#51 ·
My best selling lines are the SA GPX (and lately their textured series),


For good reason. The Scientific Anglers GPX is the best WF line I have ever used. Got it on about half dozen reels and when I go to Alaska, I carry a spare GPX line with me as well. Fantastic line that cast well. No silver bullet. Doesn't add 20' to my cast, it is just a great all around performer. The textured lines are the craze with some, doubt that will last. I have one and it is horrible. The buzzing sound it makes going through the guides drives me nuts and on occasion when fighting a fish, it will literally cut my fingers. Will never buy another shark skin line. That was an expensive test that failed horribly.



-Dan
 
#17 ·
Fantastic info Richard. I am going to call you a fly fishing psychiatrist because you seem to have me down pat on my fly fishing newness, and abilities, and you are right on target. I am old enough that not everything you say sticks with me, but I always learn from you. For the fishing that I do the most, which is for panfish, and occasionally LMBs, and with the piedmont rivers, and ponds that I fish, I feel a fly line, like the SA Air cell, will do OK for me, for now. I'll ocasionally salt water fish. I have a sinking line that I haven't used yet, and an intermediate line that I got on sale not too long after I started getting better with my casting. Just saw a man yesterday who was using sinking line that was new at that, but not fly fishing with other types of fly lines, who was having a lot of difficulty with it, but seemed to be getting a little better as time went by. Not sure how well his fishing partner was doing with his casting, but he seemed to be OK with it. lol I will have to hold it down a bit on what would be better lines and equipment because I am trying too may different types of fish species. I still spin fish, and have enough of those rods that my man cave looks like a fishing rod forrest. I will eventually try other lines, I am sure, especially as I learn more about different areas, and different types of fly fishing.
Thanks to people like Chiefly Fly'n, and many others, I am learning faster. Just hope my learning curve keeps up with my age.
 
#18 ·
psychiatrist...
Ha...don't say that...it will tempt the retailer in me to send you a bill for counseling!

sinking line...lot of difficulty
Intermed. and sinking lines can be frustrating...but also can be easy and efficient when you adapt to a couple of changes in casting. When sunk...they can be difficult to lift from the water for a good backcast. Most often it's necessary to strip line in until about 20-25' remains beyond the rod tip. Then roll-cast the line to the surface and immediately lift it into your backcast...with an intermed. line you can probably then cast it just like a floating line. But with a sinking line... before it begins to sink after the roll cast, immediately go into a powerful, low, side-arm backcast...moving the rod tip in an oval or ellipitcal direction and into and "overhand" forward cast (often shown as Belgian Cast). Shoot the line on the forward cast (i.e. eliminate false casting back and forth). Usually the heavier, denser sinking lines are "not nice" to cast back and forth with abrupt changes in direction...so better results are usually achieved with a big oval...

Gonna make it to the fly show? Good demos by Lefty Kreh and Bob Clouser...on casting big flies and sinking lines...
 
#19 ·
Richard, you would not believe how much you have helped me, but sometimes I think I may be beyond help. Just got through looking at vids on tying the bimini twist knot. Took close to 2 hours to get it done. The knot definitely will not slip. Not absolutely sure it is a bimini, but I think it may be. I can tie it again later. lol Still not satisfied, but completely drained of energy in mind, and body.
With your explanation of casting technigue with intermediate and sinking lines, I can see why the guy I saw yesterday was having so much didfficulty, but he looked like he was getting close to mastering the sinking line.
I have decided not to go to the Fly Fishing Show, Wish it were closer to me. Good thing though because I'd have Bob Clouser, and Lefty Kreh both angry with me.
 
#20 ·
Happy to assist if I can. Sorry we won't see you at the show. Perhaps the next time you swing west....

Doing the Bimini Twist...excellent. One of the saltwater fly fishing guides showed me that at a clinic. His method was to make a relatively small loop (diameter of your hand) with 20 or so twists and while holding the standing line and tag end in one hand you use your other hand to position and expand the loop size over a bent knee, keeping tension on everything, then separate the tag end from the standing line...it will wind itself back over your twists and you can lockit with a half hitch. That's probably as clear as mud. Surely there's a You Tube video....UPDATE...yep just as I thought.. Just looked at one that showed essentially the same thing I was attempting to describe.

Enjoy!.
 
#23 ·
Just thought I would clear someting up, so everyone doesn't think I am super stupid. LOL The 1st vid I watched on the bimini twist knot did not have any words in it, and the guy who was doing the tying, had his arm in the way a couple of times while tying. I must have watched that vid 10 times before I decided to move on to another one.
 
#26 ·
I am pretty sure that line I had was Cortland 555. Definitely not Shark Skin. That line had a different coating on it that was different than anything I've seen, so far, but then, I haven't seen that much. LOL It also had a clear tip section. I think ,maybe druminator has the Sharkskin, but not sure.
 
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