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What line should I use with this fly rod?
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24-08-2010 9:47pm#1
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Yes, that's exactly it (I hope). I'm sure coolwings or Ironbluedun will be quick to correct me if I'm wrong!
You'll probably want to buy floating line also. If you just ask for 6-7 weight floating line in a tackle shop they'll know what you mean. Also pick up a some leaders and tippets and a few flies (not that I'm any good with them) :rolleyes:. I'm sure you'll be much better at fly fishing then I ever will. 0 -
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Yes Headmasterironbluedun wrote: »you make me sound like the school principal!!!!! i reply not to correct, just to help....there are hundreds who read and wont help..........
the answer to the original question is yes.:D:D 0 -
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Not a big fan of WF lines. Bit to heavy at the front end for a gentle presentation. If your going to be in a boat or bank fishing on a stockie lake it would be a good choice for distance. If wild trout fishing on the rivers i'd go for a double taper line.
Opinions headmasters? 0 -
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You're exactly right... Yanks coplicate EVERYTHINGironbluedun wrote: »there are far too many lines on the market....half of them are useless and the of the others 48% are crap....the yanks have complicated all of this (surprise, surprise) this weight forward thing is ok if you want to cast a long distance but from a boat its no advantage at all, a traditional double taper is better for boat fishing….to think that anglers used to catch fish on lines made from platted horses hair, and far more fish than we catch today. (100th post by the way 
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Here is the pictorial difference between a WF weight forward and a DT double taper fly line.
Moving the belly towards the tip is a step in the direction of bait casting with spinning rods where the weight is under the rod on the cast. It makes casting easier because less weight is aerialised away from the rod tip on the cast.
Almost all beginners who try both prefer the WF because the difference is real and helpful to them.
Note that if you are capable of aerialising ALL of a DT, once the backing reaches the rod tip it becomes a long belly WF.
But trout are not stupid so not much fishing is at extreme short range, and anglers are not so capable that much fishing is at excess of 30 metres.
So most of the time we are fishing at 1/2 to 2/3rds the line's length distance.
Take a look at what this means:
In particular, two things jump out:
1 The WF line still has the full casting weight (the belly) in use. But the DT line has 1/3rd of the belly, it's casting weight, on the spool or at least unaerialised.
Now consider, if you want to cast a spinner a long distance, you have to add lead, or choose a big heavy spinner, to get enough weight to achieve your aim. That is even if that particular spinner is less effective due to being now an over-large size. The distance cast required gives you no choice.
However if you only want to spin at 20 metres, then you can choose a smaller, lighter spinner that has more action, and is more effective, right?
Take a look at the 2nd picture just above: while fishing at 15-20 metres, the WF angler is still dropping enough weight to cast 35 metres onto the water beside his trout, but the DT angler is dropping 1/3rd less weight and will make a lot less splash as a result - and we know how cautious big trout can be to disturbance.
But it's is actually worse than that: go back to the top picture. If you look closelt you will see that both lines are a #5 and are the same total weight. But the belly of the DT is longer than the belly of the WF, so although the picture does not show this, the WF belly must be both thicker and heavier than the DT belly.
So if things were more accurate, the original picture should have shown this:
So the line near the fish, behind the 8' taper, is thinner and lighter for the DT, and this is more help when dealing with wild browns.
To sum up - where distance is more important than presentation a WF. Where presentation is more important than distance a DT.
If you are capable of casting distance with a DT, the need for a WF (over a DT) is reduced in all circumstances, but it might still be advantageous for the longest distances.
But if you wanted to cast 45 metres all along there is something designed to so that even better than a WF. What is a WF had running line behind that was even thinner, like spinning line ? That would shoot a mile on the final shoot wouldn't it? Well this would be an ST or SH.
Some people don't like handling the thin lines it tangles easier so handling it is a new skill, and they prefer the thicker running line of a WF, but if you want distance an ST is always significantly better than a WF.
Some of us have been known to cut a DT in half, and add 30 metres of running line behind each of the two halves. This makes two shooting heads (SH or ST), but they are long belly STs not like the bought ones, but with the characteristics of a DT up to 15 metres, and becoming an ST when the thin running line gets outside the tip ring for long casting.
It seems like all good news, but there is a price. The belly has been shortened, so when aerialised the casting weight is reduced. So you better have already bought a line 1 size heavier before cutting it up, or you better have mastered the double haul casting style which moves the line faster through the air, and the extra speed makes up for the lighter weight, or both.
The beginner needs more weight to cast adequately, and the WF provides this near the fly which is useful. But if he bought a DT one or two sizes heavier, then the weight for short casting is there anyway, since the belly of a WF5 is similar to the belly of a DT6-7. This is called intentionally overlining the rod, and where short casts are required it makes it cast just fine. It will actually be superior for casting 10-15 metres, compared to if it had the recommended #5 line.
But when you want to cast 20-30 metres on your #5 rod, and you have a #6-7 line on the reel, the extra weight might break the rod. So that is the time to cut off the back end of that heavier DT. Work in 6'-10' cuts, and each time you cut, you can learn to cast that bit further, and the rod has the same weight to manage, and stays the same.
like this:
So you can extend you distance bit by bit in a controlled incremental way, (which happens to be the way we all learn instead of making big steps) and still enjoy the handling of the DT on the business fishy end.
But I have to say 99% of anglers would rather cut off a finger than some of that expensive fly line. So it is a "bravery moment" that only a very few will take. The rest buy a WF, made by the tackle trade for them, enjoy the experience, and do just fine.0 -
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Just like to say thanks for this, its the small things that make so much more of a difference! I knew i was doing something wrongI hope I'm not telling you something you know for years but ....
Next time don't cast at the water where you want the fly to land, instead cast at a spot in the air 2-3 feet above the water.
The cast will expend its energy in the air and the motionless line will fall, and this makes far less disturbance than a line falling that still retains forwards motion.
Then as things get neater over the weeks, slowly lower that target spot until it is only 6" above where you want the fly to land. 0
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