Looking for old school Air Cell flyline

[fishinwrench]

6 hours ago, dan hufferd said:

I don't know jack about fly fishing, this stuff?

https://www.amazon.com/Scientific-Anglers-Air-Floating-Lines/dp/B015YP5TOC?th=1

It was too easy to find so it's probably not the right stuff.

Thanks for trying..... but no that ain't it.   

[Flysmallie]

So it’s a strike indicator for those that are too snobby to actually admit they use a strike indicator? 

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, Flysmallie said:

So it’s a strike indicator for those that are too snobby to actually admit they use a strike indicator? 

You could say that.....but doing so would expose your lack of understanding the technique.   

It's a visual aid that helps in getting the desired drift angle. The attention is diverted away from that piece of orange line as soon as the mending is complete. At a distance of 30', depending on light conditions, I can't be 100% sure where the end of my flyline is without it.   

My "strike indicator" is the angle of the line between rod tip & water surface. 

It's like setting a mouse trap.   The line/leader is laid on the water in a way so that any interruption of the drift immediately causes EVERYTHING  to begin tightening up.    You aren't going to notice THAT by trying to watch a little 3/4" piece of orange flyline that's 30-40 feet away.    You pay attention to the angle of line coming off your rod tip, just 8-9' away from your eyeball.     If the angle changes, and YOU didn't do it......then a FISH did it.  👍

That's why it's called "angling".   

 

Lesson over.   Now find us some frickin old school orange Air Cell.   😉

[kjackson]

I've got nothing that will work. The few orange lines I have are too modern, and they are spey lines as well. Sorry.  

[fshndoug]

I am going to get Glen an orange magic marker for Xmas that floats

 

[tjm]

23 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

It has to have the Dacron core like this...

Otherwise you can't "skin it" to get the little floating sections off.   

I'm surprised that nobody else does this, I've been doing it for 30some years.   Just thread it on your leader butt section, it keeps the very tip of your fly line up on top and gives you a sighter to focus on when drifting nymphs or swinging a soft-hackle.    Doesn't impede the drift or make your mends stupid....like a "bobber" or a Palsa does.  

Oh, I know what it is and I did try that a long time ago (seems more like 40ish years) when it was written up in a magazine or something, but  didn't find it worth the effort for me.  I did use a "Jaune" fly line to cut the pieces from as that was what I had. "Jaune"  stuck in my head because it was yellow to me and American line so why the French color?

As a alternative, using that ugly orange backing material (although it won't add flotation) I came across this article a couple years ago and it reminded me of the cut line segments- https://troutbitten.com/2021/10/08/the-backing-barrel-might-be-the-best-sighter-ever/

Didn't someone market those fly line segments already cut and core removed for a short while back when?

[fishinwrench]

32 minutes ago, tjm said:

Oh, I know what it is and I did try that a long time ago (seems more like 40ish years) when it was written up in a magazine or something, but  didn't find it worth the effort for me.  I did use a "Jaune" fly line to cut the pieces from as that was what I had. "Jaune"  stuck in my head because it was yellow to me and American line so why the French color?

As a alternative, using that ugly orange backing material (although it won't add flotation) I came across this article a couple years ago and it reminded me of the cut line segments- https://troutbitten.com/2021/10/08/the-backing-barrel-might-be-the-best-sighter-ever/

Didn't someone market those fly line segments already cut and core removed for a short while back when?

That "backing barrel" might work if you could treat it to stay afloat.  The problem with all flylines, even the best of the best, is that the tips always sag a bit because of the weight of the leader butt.   I've tried several other methods but nothing I've tried works as well as a section of that old Air Cell line.  

I learned it from Mike Alred who was a Montana guide friend of Ed's from Springview flyshop, many MANY years ago.   Whitlock learned it from the same guy, and even wrote about it in an article he sold to Flyfisherman magazine......but he didn't go into the REAL reason.  Instead he mentioned using several pieces along the length of a leader, and using them as a "bobber" for midge fishing.  

[tjm]

I think the  reason tips of fly lines appear to sink is more because they are tapered at the tip and that taper reduces the surface contact that supports the rest of the fly line. I had a recent exchange with SA's line designer asking about the old "Supreme DT" line and if the same line was still available under a different name; his reply was that the current DT lines were slightly larger at the taper making them a bit "more aggressive", to which I said larger and more aggressive seems backwards for a tapered line geared towards presentation and to that he replied that it was done to greatly increase the tip flotation and that the average angler would not notice the difference in turnover.

As to treating the backing to float, I used to smear Mucilin on 12-15' long nylon leaders to float them when fishing weighted wets ~6" below the surface in still water. I think it's what is called midge fishing today, but back then the flies we used weren't what is considered a midge pattern.  My mentors called it "greased line" but I find that term has a different meaning nowadays, maybe it did then too, we had no internet there. Anyhow the point is that either Mucilin or Albolene would float he barrel knot.

Another possible alternative to think about is Loon Biostrike paste, A play dough like  material that I've been playing around with for about a month, to add visibility to my leaders as the cataracts grow. I'm surprised at how little is needed and at how well it stays on the leader, and that it is indeed reusable. The drawback that I have  found is that even the residue of the bit I used last week will try to float my wet  flies the next time out.

[fishinwrench]

Guess who has one?   Flip Pallet 👍 

Now I just have to make him like me enough to wanna bother with digging it out and mailing it to me. 🤔

I wish his outboard would blow up!  😁

[tjm]

Gotta ask, how you find that out? Did he respond to this forum by PM?