Fly LIne

[gonefishin]

What brand of fly lines is a good choice for fishing Taney and Bennett? I assume there are only a few manfacturers of fly line so it would follow that some lines are premium lines just because of the hype in advertising. There are a lot of line brands out there, all of which of course are "The Best", what I am trying to figure out which brand is the best buy for the dollars invested. Any suggestions?

[Greg]

I'm sure you'll get a lot of different answers to this one. Here's my take.

The top of the line fly lines from all of the different manufacturers (Rio, cortland, SA, etc) are all very very good. Michael at Backcountry outfitters likes Rio the best and after buying one a few months ago for my wife I think I agree with him. The problem is that these top of the line lines are $60. Thats a big chunk of change especially if you own several different outfits.

I usually always try to patronize the smaller fly shops over Bass Pro BUT Bass Pro sells a fly line - the CV2 - that is outstanding for only $20. I've had one on my favorite fly rod and reel for almost 2 years and it has held up really well. It doesn't float quite as high as the top of the line Rio but at one third the cost it is a real bargain. I've heard it is made by SA/Scientific Anglers.

Greg

[Thom]

If you watch the orvis sales (catalog) they put their wonderline advantage on sale for about 39 dollars a couple of times a year. I matched it to my trident 9' 5 wgt using a 5WF and it added 10 to 12 on my casts. I was amazed of the longer casts that I achieved the first few times I used it. I have had it for over a year and it is holding up very well. The regular price is 59 dollars. You can subscribe to their online site and they email sales items about monthly.

[WebFreeman]

Good tip, Greg. I've been in the same boat and the idea of $60 for line I use a couple times a year is though. I can deal w/ $20. The other 20-40 would buy a lot of flies and leaders.

[motroutbum]

If you want the best, go with Rio. The Orvis line is crap. I got it when i started guiding in durango for my client rods. I threw it away after 10 uses. It doesnt cast like other lines. even the zero gravity rod cant throw that line. So i switched to Rio. I have used Sci Angler in the past and the GPX line is really good too. BUt after using rio, especially rio grand, i wont switch to any other line. the xxd line by sci angler is pretty good too. i have it on my 8 wt.

like ive said before, take the advice from the people who use the stuff everyday. not just the weekend warrior. If you want the best, you are gonna have to pay the price. you wont pay any more than 60 bucks for a top of the line fly line unless you get into specialty lines.

[MTM]

I get a number of them given to me each year. And I do try them all. I guess I am just old in mind as I still like the old Peach Colored 444 Cortland lines. They have a great surface on them. They don't get hard and stiff in cold weather and they last forever. I also like DT lines on all my rods upto a 6wgt Then I like to go with a WF line as I will be fishing larger streams, wind and lager flies with that type of outfit. I must have 20 of them around here. You just can't beat them. There are other good lines out there two but not for the same price. Just an old guides opinion. Ron

[gonefishin]

Thanks for all the input. I don't mind paying the price for premium product but I hate to pay a premium price for the same product put into a flashy package with a lot of advertising.

[Danoinark]

I have used the Cabelas Prestige lines for sometime now. I think they presently sell them for around 29 to 39 dollars depending on the line. A few years back I bought several at discount. I don't know who makes them for Cabelas, but they sure have held up...Dano

[gonefishin]

Line cores

The core of a fly line is its heart and the choice of core material has an effect on a line's performance. The core material effects a line's stiffness, strength and elasticity. Core materials are either braided or single strand. Low stretch cores have the benefit of allowing quicker, firmer "strikes" to set the hook but suffer from a lack of shock-absorbing qualities that help protect fine tippets when playing big, hard-fighting fish.

Braided cores can be either braided monofilament where a number of strands are braided together and, when the coating is added, the end result is a relatively stiff line, or braided multifilament nylon. Braided nylon cores are used for freshwater fishing as the end result is a strong limp line with an acceptable amount of memory. Braided multifilament Dacron, or polyester, has been used for tournament casting lines but is losing popularity as a core material for normal fishing lines.

Single strand nylon is often used for saltwater lines and can be manufactured as a high-or low-memory core as required. Gel-spun polyethylene, which has very little stretch combined with high strength, is used by one maker only, Monic, in Boulder, Colorado.

Line coatings

Again all manufacturers have their own specialised coating: each one is better than the competition's. We are talking about axially orienting polymer and specific plasticizers, together with superslick lubricants. There are three main base materials used for coatings: PVC, polyurethane and polyethylene. PVC is the most popular but Airflo uses polyurethane and Monic is the sole user of polyethylene. Combining polymers with plasticizers gives a stable coating and prevents premature brittleness. Ultra-violet inhibitors will help protect a line from the damaging effects of sunlight. The main purposes of the coating are to reduce friction when casting, to encourage floating lines to float high on the water, and sinking lines to sink. The coating will also help resist collecting dirt and grime which increases friction and thus reduces casting distance. A coating that allows a line to shoot well will aid distance casting. Lubrication in the coating helps reduce friction and the risk of the coating cracking. The coatings on floating lines include micro-ballons, microspheres and even hollow to give a floating line its essential buoyancy, although such additives are not needed with polyethylene which has a specific gravity such that it floats naturally. Sinking lines are made to sink by the addition of flecks of tungsten to the coating. Tungsten is used because of its greater density compared with lead.

Some manufacturers, Rio, for example, offer coldwater and warm water coatings and different internal constructions to suit the conditions under which the lines are designed to be used. For example, lines for use in the tropics have monofilament cores to prevent sagging in high temperatures and hard coatings which, again, help the line from going limp and soggy. Although their functions overlap, it is easy to select lines that will perform best at the temperatures prevailing when fishing. For example a line suitable for warm-weather trout fishing could be used for cool-weather saltwater fishing but should be exchanged for a stiff saltwater line as the season progresses and temperatures rise.

[10pointer]

we set alot of folks up with the cv2 line. I you arent going to use it much over the course of the years then its pretty decent. Now if you are a die hard and are a little more picky as far as lines go you cant go wrong with a GPX line. Ive had mine for a few years and love it.

The cv2 line is a heckuva deal though if you are running on a somewhat limited budget. The Cv2 line is made by scientific anglers (the newboxes of cv2 have SA cards in them) which is one of your best flyline companys IMO