"overlining" Your Rod

[Gallagher]

I recently purchased a new fly rod & a new reel, reel is a 5/6wt & the rod is a 5wt 9'med fast action. It was suggested that I try & overline my new rod as in use the next size up line. I've done some research on this & it seems to be a fairly common practice, has anyone else given this a try & if so what are your thoughts. I might also add that some info I've come across state that some fly line manufacturers DO in fact make the like for like (rod/reel) line a bit on the heavy size for it's rating.

Thanks!

[flytyer57]

I recently purchased a new fly rod & a new reel, reel is a 5/6wt & the rod is a 5wt 9'med fast action. It was suggested that I try & overline my new rod as in use the next size up line. I've done some research on this & it seems to be a fairly common practice, has anyone else given this a try & if so what are your thoughts. I might also add that some info I've come across state that some fly line manufacturers DO in fact make the like for like (rod/reel) line a bit on the heavy size for it's rating.

Thanks!

I've never overlined my rods, but I do have one rod that could probably use it.

You'll have to try it and find out how it feels and casts for you to determine if it's going to work for you or not. There is no set standard for overlining a rod. It's all in the feel and castability.

[eric1978]

Depends on how fast your rod is and your casting skills. On a slower rod I'd probably stick with a matched line, but on a faster rod you may want to go a half or whole weight bigger. Some line manufacturers do make lines a half weight heavier. I believe SA GPX comes that way.

Best thing would be to spool it up with some of your old lines and find what works best, that is if you have the right size line laying around. Or take your rod to a fly shop or a big box and see if they'll let you try different lines out. Usually they'll have some spooled up reels laying around with different lines on them.

A lot of it comes down to preference. I'm a pretty mediocre caster, so I prefer a slightly heavier line...just seems to work better for me.

[snagged in outlet 3]

SA's GPX and Rio Grand are roughly a half weight heavier than "normal".

Pete

[AZ_Trout]

Currently I've over lined a 2wt, 3wt, and 4 wt all 1 size higher. I did this mainly for a little more weight to battle some wind. Right now I'm only fishing some local ponds stocked with winter trout, so the extra power lets me get a few more feet from the shore, and offsets the wind. It did make a nice improvement on the 4wt, a fast rod and now the 5wt softened it just a touch. I might not change this rod's current set up, but I will likely go back to the 2wt line for some small streams I fish, and I will put 3wt back on the 3wt rod.

[Wayne SW/MO]

It's a good way to slow down a fast rod to fit a slower casting style.

[Gallagher]

Thanks guy's,...all good info. I have a 4wt TFO with 4 wt line that I find hard to feel the rod load, so I revert to my other 5wt with much softer action, (I'm still a novice fly fishing guy), so after discovering the over lining, I decided to give my new 5wt rod 6wt line as it's a med fast action in hopes that I'll be able to feel it load plus hopefully be able to shoot more line out.