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The Fly Line.
Choosing
the Right One.
The fly line is one of the most important
parts of your fly outfit.
Choose the
right fly line and the learning curve is drastically reduced.
Choose the wrong one and your high priced rod will cast no better than
a cheap rod from a super store.
This article will go
over the different characteristics of the fly line and help you choose
the right one.
What is the fly line?The
fly line is basically a plastic coated string.
The
line gets its strength from the inner string. The strength of
the inner string is likely to be greater than the leader that is tied
to the end of it.
The coating on the
outside serves a few purposes. It gives extra weight and
taper to the line where needed. It controls whether the line
is a floating fly line or a sinking one. Lastly, it provides
a slick surface to the line to make it easier to cast with less
friction on the rod guides.
WeightIf
you have read the articles on choosing a fly rod and reel you probably
already understand the importance of balancing your whole
outfit. I’ll say it again just so we’re clear. If
you’re using a rod that is rated for a 5 weight, then both your reel
and fly line should be a 5.
If you have a rod that
says it is rated for two different weights, such as 4/5, it is best to
go with the heavier weight line or a 5 in this case.
TaperThe
taper of the fly line is where most new fly anglers get
confused. There are so many different ones to choose from,
which is the best?
Here’s is a break down of the
basic tapers you will run into along with the code, in parentheses,
used to label them on the outside of the box. There are other
tapers available, that are variations of the ones listed, but for
simplicity sake I’m only listing the basic ones.
Level (L)
Level
fly lines have no taper at all.
This
line is the least expensive line and for good reason. No fly
fisherman, serious about presenting a fly to a fish, would use
one. They load up your line fine when you cast, but without
the taper they make it extremely difficult to get any distance.
Most
fly shops don’t even carry level fly lines so it may not be an option,
which is a good thing.
Weight Forward (WF)
The
weight forward taper is the most popular fly line and the most
expensive.
The thickest and heaviest part of the
line is in the first third of the fly line. The thickest part
of the line is called the “belly” and makes casting easier.
This
type of fly line is the most versatile in that it can delicately
present a fly from both short or long distances (20 to
80feet). In most cases this is the fly line taper that will
be recommended by fly fisherman, especially for beginners.
It
is important to note that if you buy a weight forward line that you tie
it to your backing properly. The thicker end should be
attached to your leader, not reeled up on your spool.
Double Taper (DT)
A
double taper fly line has the heaviest and thickest section in the
middle of the line with a taper at each end.
This
taper is used by experienced fly fisherman for casting short to medium
distances (20 to 50 feet) who want add delicacy to their
presentation. If you plan to mainly fish small streams where
distance isn’t a big factor then the double taper may work fine for you.
An
added bonus to the double taper line is that if one end gets worn out
and tattered you can untie it and flip the other end to the outside to
get an extra season or two out of it.
DensityThe
density of the line will decide how the line sets on the water, whether
it floats or sinks, and how it will sink.
The same
when I discussed the taper of the fly line, there are different
variations according to density but I will discuss only the basic ones.
The code will again be located in parentheses and can be found on the
outside of the line box.
Floating (F)
Floating
lines do exactly that. The entire length of the line will
float on top of the water unless weighed down by the fly or by some
other method, such as a split shot sinker.
Floating
fly line is said to be the easiest to cast. It can be used to
fish on top of the water and subsurface when weight is added to
it. It is for these reasons that the floating fly line is the
most popular type among fly fisherman.
If you can
only afford one fly line make it a floating line because of its
versatility.
Sink
Tip (F/S)
The sink tip fly line sinks
in the first 10 to 30 feet of line cast out. The rest of the
line floats to allow for easier pick up when recasting.
This
line is used to get flies down deeper when fish aren’t hitting top
water flies. The tip will sink quickly so if you don’t want
to go too deep use a weighted fly on a floating line or one of the
other types of sinking lines.
Intermediate Sinking (I)
Intermediate
sinking lines sink the entire length of the line at a slow rate.
This
type of line is the one you’ll want to use if you just want your fly
submerged a few feet under water.
Sinking (S)
The
next type of line is the sinking line. It’s just like the
intermediate sinking line except that it sinks at a faster
rate.
The sink rate will be described on
the box in inches per second. Some will drop like a stone
while others will drift down. Which sink rate you need
depends on where and how deep you want to fish. A fast
sinking line is better for getting your flies down to the fish quickly
in deep or swift moving water.
PriceAs
I’ve said in the past articles on choosing a fly fishing outfit,
if
you’re on a budget you’re best off getting the most rod and line you
can for the money you have available. You can get the best
rod money can buy, but it won’t perform as well with a cheap line.
A
quality fly line will be easier to cast, present your fly, and give you
a better experience overall on the water.
This
article covers the basics of choosing the right fly line. The
best way to find out is to ask other fly fisherman their suggestions
and try them out.
I plan to add an article on
setting up you whole outfit on this site later, so visit us
often. Or for a more convenient way to get updates to the
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