Choosing a Fly Line

If trout only fed on food on the surface of the lake waters, fly fishing would be easy. Since they feed in water as deep as 10 feet or more, fly fishing becomes a little more challenging. Especially, when it comes to selecting fly line. You need a selection of sinking fly lines and also a floating fly line to sufficiently supply your fly fishing tackle needs.

Floating lines actually have multiple uses because of the versatility of the fly line. You can use floating line when fishing with dry flies as well as fishing nymphs or insect larvae from just below the surface to the deep waters of the lake.

Floating lines have their limitations. How deep you can fish with the floating line is dependent upon the length of the leader and the fisherman's patience. A fisherman must wait for the fly pattern to sink to the optimum depth. With leaders as long as 9 feet in length, floating lines are efficient when fishing in waters down to about 7 feet. It is more difficult to cast if you use a leader longer than that. The floating line can be used in the shallow shoal or littoral area of a lake where trout feed the most and is also a good choice when using chironomid larvae and pupae, mayfly nymphs, damselfly nymphs, caddis pupae or any of the adult form of these species. No matter the length of the leader used just make sure it is tapered. This enables the fly to turn over after you have cast.

The Intermediate slow sinking fly line sinks about 1 to 2 inches per second. When fishing in water that is less than about 7 feet deep, this fly line is a good selection because of the slower sinking rate of the line. Learning to be patient is important for a beginner with the use of this line. The amount of time you have to wait for the fly to sink is decreased. The fast sinking fly line sinks about 3 to 5 inches per second. This type of fly line is perfect for fishing in the drop-off area of the lake. Trout like to occupy these drop-offs because of the cooler water temperature closer to the bottom. This can be very important to the trout during the warm summer months. The plants in most drop-off areas are still photosynthesizing, so the plants are still growing making for the abundance of insect or fish food.

Because a normal drop-off is about 10 to almost 20 feet in depth, the use of the fast sinking fly line makes more sense than a slow sinking fly line. You want to make sure that you are retrieving your line as close to the bottom as possible. So you will need to do some calculating. Time the time it takes for the fly to reach the bottom using the specifications on the package. This will help you know when you should retrieve your line, however, if you are constantly getting snagged on the vegetation at the bottom, you will want to wait less time before retrieving your fly line.

The good thing when looking into fly line, even though there are several different manufacturers that make fly line, they all have the same name and classifications for their lines. If you choose a 6-weight fly line from one manufacturer it is the same as the 6-weight fly line from another manufacturer. The difference in the fly lines are in the core, the outer material or how high the floating line rides, if you are choosing a floating line.

In choosing a fly line you must know several factors before making the purchase. What fly are you casting? Is it a wet fly or a dry fly? Will you be making short casts or long casts? Will you be making a delicate presentation or slogging nymphs or streamers?

There are a few different types of fly lines you will have to choose from. The "DT" line is designed to be tapered at both ends. It started out a budget line. Since both ends are tapered, when one end wore out, you could take the line off the reel and rewind the worn out end first. It has been used for a number of years as a dry fly line.

The "WFF" also known as Weight Forward Floating line is used for fishing dry flies, nymphs, and streamers. This is the most used type of fly line today. It has a heavier 'head' to aid in casting your fly farther out while the narrower running line slips through the guides faster.

A "WFS" also known as Weight Forward Sinking is good for some special uses such as fast bottom fish or lakes. These lines are a little harder to pull up out of the water and cast so you'll need to strip in most of the line before making your cast. A Full sinking line is great for trolling flies behind a boat or float tube.

While there are disadvantages to a full sinking line, there are other lines that might do a better job. A floating line with a sink-tip section, about 10 feet or so, will sink and take your fly with it. There are lines that come with intermediate, fast or very fast sink-tips.

"Level" line is used for steelhead or blue-water fishing from boat or shore. It is a specialty distance type of line. It is used as running line for shooting heads. Shooting heads with lead cores can be very heavy.

Then there is a newer line called the "TT" or Triangle Taper, which has a longer distance of taper. It is a good casting line and rolls out smooth. This not only makes it a good dry fly line, but also a great line for roll casting.

It all boils down to matching the type of fish, fly and water you will be fishing in to choose the best fly line.

Scientific Anglers GPX Mastery Series Floating Line

APPLICATIONS: The ultimate all-purpose line, with a taper designed to handle a large spectrum of flies and conditions. Provides excellent versatility for presenting dries, nymphs, and streamers. Made heavier to more fully load high-modulus graphite rods. WF TAPER CHARACTERISTICS: Medium front taper with slightly oversized tip for high floatation and strong delivery.
Riverbum

Cortland 444SL Change A Tips

The Change-A-Tip system is tailored-made for the resourceful angler who needs to adapt to changing fishing conditions. The interchangable tips are 12 feet long, weight forward tapers. Loop connected, each Loop is constructed with the core of the flyline, making it an integral part of the system. The ventilated storage wallet (included) keeps tips organized and allows them to dry after use. 31 yds.
Land Big Fish