Double Taper Versus Weight Forward Line

Zak Flaps

Hi, relatively new to fly fishing,and was fishing a few times in a stocked lake down in Offaly. Will be doing mainly this type of fishing for the foreseeable future. Maybe some lake fishing from a boat next summer.
An experienced fisherman(9 years) was giving me advice when I was out last time.I have pretty good double taper floating line(7). He said my rod and cast was good but weight forward line would help me cast further. Is this true?
Also he recommended some intermediate line for when the weather gets a little colder.
Can anyone shed some light on this?
Cortland seems like a good brand to go with. Maybe a bit pricey but i suppose you get what you pay for! I'm a believer in that philosophy anyway.
So I'm thinking of buying weight forward floating and intermediate (Line 7).
Any other good(but a bit cheaper) brands one could recommend?


Zak.

coolwings

If you want distance, a shooting head beats a weight forward every time, so long as you are happy handling thin running line.

Your DT7 line already bought and paid for, could be considered as two SH7s back to back if you have a scissors in your hands!

Cortland make really nice lines, Scientific Anglers are right behind them.
There are many budget (independent make) lines of medium quality.
For sinking work I find the Scientific Anglers Wet Cel range very good.

Cortland are better as well as dearer, but while pleasant, are not absolutely necessary for sunk work.
The extra performance of a really good line is most appreciated on the river with floating line. There you will be making thousands of casts due to the current bringing it back to you or dragging the leader and fly. So after each cast you just get a short drift prior to making the next cast.

By the way, if your rod is perfect with a lengthy thirty metre DT7 and you get a WF of ST which is shorter at 10 metres, you will need to get a heavier weight, like WF8, or ST8.
If a rod has a line range like #5-6 labelled on it: That would indicate very long casts with a DT#4, medium-long casts with DT5, short casts with DT6, and if using a short 10 meter WF line with weightless running line behind it you would use a #6.
In each case the weight of line aerialised is kept the same, about the optimum weight for the rod. This reduces effort and makes distance easier to achieve.

I hope this helps.

Zak Flaps

coolwings wrote: »

If you want distance, a shooting head beats a weight forward every time, so long as you are happy handling thin running line.

Your DT7 line already bought and paid for, could be considered as two SH7s back to back if you have a scissors in your hands!

Cortland make really nice lines, Scientific Anglers are right behind them.
There are many budget (independent make) lines of medium quality.
For sinking work I find the Scientific Anglers Wet Cel range very good.

Cortland are better as well as dearer, but while pleasant, are not absolutely necessary for sunk work.
The extra performance of a really good line is most appreciated on the river with floating line. There you will be making thousands of casts due to the current bringing it back to you or dragging the leader and fly. So after each cast you just get a short drift prior to making the next cast.

By the way, if your rod is perfect with a lengthy thirty metre DT7 and you get a WF of ST which is shorter at 10 metres, you will need to get a heavier weight, like WF8, or ST8.
If a rod has a line range like #5-6 labelled on it: That would indicate very long casts with a DT#4, medium-long casts with DT5, short casts with DT6, and if using a short 10 meter WF line with weightless running line behind it you would use a #6.
In each case the weight of line aerialised is kept the same, about the optimum weight for the rod. This reduces effort and makes distance easier to achieve.

I hope this helps.

hey coolwings,thanks yet again for your detailed response...
i feel as i'm a bit out of my depth here!!
i'm very new to all of this so don't understand all you talked about...
handling thin running line sounds like it would be difficult so i'd be best to avoid it...the simpler the better for me at the moment as it may put me off!!!
My situation is this : I use a Grey's 10ft rod(6/7) with DT 7 floating line...i just fish on a stocked lake for now...so obviously i won't be casting as much as i would on a river...so maybe i should avoid the top of the range lines for now?
Chuileog from this forum recommended Pitsford Pirate from flyforums.co.uk and said he does good lines for cheap...maybe that's an option...
i get the impression that shooting heads needs skill to set up and use,so would avaiod that due to my "standard"!
so if that's the case,should i stick with the DT7 or go with the WF7...i have 4 spools so i could easily have both!!
again,just letting you know your help is very much appreciated...

zak.

coolwings

I admit up front I cannot see the value of WF lines when an ST line costs less. The running line behind a WF cracks and wears, but with an ST you just cut the worn bit off and re-tie the fresh end to your line again.
The shooting taper always casts greater distance.
So what is the reason for WF lines. there are two.
One: the thin bit is already pre-joined on the back of the casting bit. Duh ... fishermen are supposed to be able to tie knots and you just look at a picture of either a needle knot or two loops knot.
Two, the thin bit of a WF is pvc covered like thin flyline, and nicer to handle while fishing than very thin backing. The thin bit behind a shooting head can be either spinning line (not nice), braid (nicer) or 1/2 of a level #2 floating fly line (exactly what the WF has) only you save the other 1/2 of your #2 backing to use with your next intermediate or fast sink line that you are about to get next!

The way I would do it:

Stick with the DT7 for just now if you're still learning fly casting.
If your rod is rated 6-7, then the DT7 is too heavy for long distance casting with, but you can't cast that far yet, and so right now it is not limiting. In fact a slightly heavy-ish line actually helps beginners cast better.
Meanwhile the DT7 allows you to practice line mending, roll casting, which WF or ST lines cannot do, but a double taper does these other handy casts beautifully.
So you get more varied practice with your double taper #7 line. Use it!

After a month or two, (now if you started mid summer) treat yourself to a DT6 if you do river fishing, and see how the rod can catapult the 6 over a river into distant lies better than the 7.
Then cut the DT7 in half (yes!), get a spare spool and tie some backing line on and hey presto you have three lines: the DT6, an ST7 and a spare ST7 to put away for when the present one wears out.
Here is how I do it myself Twin fly rods, 4 lines system

But if you got a different WF for each job that would work fine too, one on each spool. Ready made is what most people want, that's why they make them. And you have the spools.

yank_in_eire

coolwings wrote: »

Meanwhile the DT7 allows you to practice line mending, roll casting, which WF or ST lines cannot do, but a double taper does these other handy casts beautifully.

I have to disagree with you here - it is possible to mend line and roll cast with a WF line - but it's not as pretty as it is with a DT ( and you can't do it with as much line outside the tip if you use a WF).