Information
If you are new to fly fishing don't feel over-awed or put off if you find the plethora of fly line types and weights rather confusing - so do lots of people who have been fishing for many years!
The first thing to address is the weight of the line. This is not the sink rate - it is what the front 30 feet of the line actually weighs and it will be matched to a number, normally between 3 (lightest) and 12 (heaviest). A 3 weight line will be right for a very light trout rod whilst a 12 weight will match a powerful saltwater outfit. The number you choose will need to match the number shown for the rod you want to use - too light and the rod won't 'work' properly, too heavy and the rod will be overloaded and unable to manage. The most popular weights of rods and lines for trout fishing are 5, 6 and 7.
The next thing to think about is the line profile. Whilst Double Taper (DT) lines were popular years ago, probably 90% of lines sold these days are Weight Forward (WF). Double taper lines are fattest/heaviest in the middle, with a more or less continuous taper to each end and the leader can be attached to either end - they are good for shortish distance, delicate presentation work. Weight forward lines have only one end to which the leader can be attached. When you take them out of the box there will normally be a sticker attached saying 'attach this end to backing'. The fattest/heaviest part of these lines (known as the 'head') is fairly close to the end where the leader is attached, hence the name 'weight forward' - this will then taper down to the 'running line' which is what will slide through the rod rings on a long forward cast. These lines are good for most fishing situations and make long casting easier. Within the overall heading of weight forward lines there will be a whole range of different taper designs, including 'bug heads' (short, heavy heads suitable for big, heavy flies), 'long belly' etc. The bottom line is that all this sophistication is likely to do a whole lot less for your casting performance than a good technique.
Turning to what the line does when it hits the water in terms of sinking or floating - everything is possible from 'super high floating' to hitting the bottom fast with a tungsten T20 head that sinks at more than 10 inches per second (not for the beginner or the faint hearted!). The most important line for most of us is the full floater - it's the nicest to use and you can fish wets, dries and nymphs with it. By using goldheads or other weighted flies, or just a long leader on stillwaters you can also fish your flies very deeply (or anywhere between there and the surface). River trout fishers rarely use anything other than a floating line.
However, if you fish stillwaters, then your chances of success can be significantly enhanced by the addition of one or more sinking lines. If you are fishing from the bank then a slow sinker may be all you need - probably something that sinks between 1/2 inch or 1 1/2 inches per second. I like the very slow sinking 'Hover' lines (Rio make a good one) whilst others prefer lines from Airflo, perhaps the Slow or Mid Glass lines. Another very useful line is the 'Midge-Tip' which has a short section (a couple of feet or so) of clear intermediate line at its tip - great for getting just below the surface and for avoiding the 'wake' that a full floater can sometimes make. You will of course need a faster sinking line than these if you plan to fish Boobies close to the bottom.
From a boat, especially a drifting boat, in order to cater for all conditions, you do ideally need a rather wider range of lines. In addition to the above, we would suggest that you consider a medium (sink rate) sinking line such as an Airflo Di3 or similar and a fast sinker such as the Di5 (the numbers represent the inches per second that each line sinks). Of course, although they are very popular, Airflo aren't the only line manufacturer and any decent manufacturer offering lines with these approximate sinking rates is likely to be fine. Some of the larger retailers offer bargain 'Mill End' lines at great prices and this can be a good way of kitting yourself out at modest cost. Of course there are many more options than those mentioned here - and when fishing a boat competition I will normally carry 12-15 different lines - but the above should put you in contention in the vast majority of situations and conditions. You may read about 'Sweep', 'No Stretch' and other specialist lines, and these have their place, but at the beginning of your fly fishing experience they are unlikely to put many more fish in your net.
The first thing to address is the weight of the line. This is not the sink rate - it is what the front 30 feet of the line actually weighs and it will be matched to a number, normally between 3 (lightest) and 12 (heaviest). A 3 weight line will be right for a very light trout rod whilst a 12 weight will match a powerful saltwater outfit. The number you choose will need to match the number shown for the rod you want to use - too light and the rod won't 'work' properly, too heavy and the rod will be overloaded and unable to manage. The most popular weights of rods and lines for trout fishing are 5, 6 and 7.
The next thing to think about is the line profile. Whilst Double Taper (DT) lines were popular years ago, probably 90% of lines sold these days are Weight Forward (WF). Double taper lines are fattest/heaviest in the middle, with a more or less continuous taper to each end and the leader can be attached to either end - they are good for shortish distance, delicate presentation work. Weight forward lines have only one end to which the leader can be attached. When you take them out of the box there will normally be a sticker attached saying 'attach this end to backing'. The fattest/heaviest part of these lines (known as the 'head') is fairly close to the end where the leader is attached, hence the name 'weight forward' - this will then taper down to the 'running line' which is what will slide through the rod rings on a long forward cast. These lines are good for most fishing situations and make long casting easier. Within the overall heading of weight forward lines there will be a whole range of different taper designs, including 'bug heads' (short, heavy heads suitable for big, heavy flies), 'long belly' etc. The bottom line is that all this sophistication is likely to do a whole lot less for your casting performance than a good technique.
Turning to what the line does when it hits the water in terms of sinking or floating - everything is possible from 'super high floating' to hitting the bottom fast with a tungsten T20 head that sinks at more than 10 inches per second (not for the beginner or the faint hearted!). The most important line for most of us is the full floater - it's the nicest to use and you can fish wets, dries and nymphs with it. By using goldheads or other weighted flies, or just a long leader on stillwaters you can also fish your flies very deeply (or anywhere between there and the surface). River trout fishers rarely use anything other than a floating line.
However, if you fish stillwaters, then your chances of success can be significantly enhanced by the addition of one or more sinking lines. If you are fishing from the bank then a slow sinker may be all you need - probably something that sinks between 1/2 inch or 1 1/2 inches per second. I like the very slow sinking 'Hover' lines (Rio make a good one) whilst others prefer lines from Airflo, perhaps the Slow or Mid Glass lines. Another very useful line is the 'Midge-Tip' which has a short section (a couple of feet or so) of clear intermediate line at its tip - great for getting just below the surface and for avoiding the 'wake' that a full floater can sometimes make. You will of course need a faster sinking line than these if you plan to fish Boobies close to the bottom.
From a boat, especially a drifting boat, in order to cater for all conditions, you do ideally need a rather wider range of lines. In addition to the above, we would suggest that you consider a medium (sink rate) sinking line such as an Airflo Di3 or similar and a fast sinker such as the Di5 (the numbers represent the inches per second that each line sinks). Of course, although they are very popular, Airflo aren't the only line manufacturer and any decent manufacturer offering lines with these approximate sinking rates is likely to be fine. Some of the larger retailers offer bargain 'Mill End' lines at great prices and this can be a good way of kitting yourself out at modest cost. Of course there are many more options than those mentioned here - and when fishing a boat competition I will normally carry 12-15 different lines - but the above should put you in contention in the vast majority of situations and conditions. You may read about 'Sweep', 'No Stretch' and other specialist lines, and these have their place, but at the beginning of your fly fishing experience they are unlikely to put many more fish in your net.
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