It’s time to change my fly line, or so I think. It seems like I have to put dressing on it after every outing, just so the next outing I will be able to have the line slide over my “line control” finger as I strip the line. I will not even mention how hard it is to keep a running fish on without either my fingers being ripped to a shred, or losing a fish because I am afraid of this happening, again.
I have read as much as I can find on the Royal Wulff Bermuda triangle taper line and want to know if any you have used this line, what you think, where to buy (I basically only shop at C.A. or Lowcountry) and how it may do with wading the flats i.e abuse by Spartina grass. I have used the Rio Redfish fly line and SA mastery redfish. Out of the two, and I should note that I started about two years ago, I like the SA redfish better. I am also interested in hearing your thoughts on the Air flo lines.
I know this topic has been covered at least a dozen times on this forum, but fly lines, I’m sure, have advanced in the past few years. Please chime in, rate your favorites and how they perform in different conditions i.e temperature, abuse with grass and shells, how often fly line dressing seems to be necessary, etc. Thanks, in advance, to those of you who are willing to share your wisdom.
I like the SA Redfish line. I amnot a big fan of the Air Flo lines. The one I fished seemed to get “gummy” and felt liek it was sticking to the guides and just felt like crap on a cast… The other line I fish is the Orvis Wonderline, shoots like poop through a goose and doesn’t stiffen up in the cold… Both lines have held up well for me against grass and shells and fish. I dump all my line in a bucket of warm freshwater when I get home, run it through an old t-shirt a few times to get the scum and dirt off it and wind it back on, about every 3 trips I’ll throw some line dressing on there. Been fishing the same 3 lines for 5 years now…
I like the RIO redfish line, I think it shoots really well. I have Shark Skin Magnum on my 8wt and I like it. I do not get to abuse my line as much as you, but it has not given me any reason to think it would fail quickly. If you are in the boat of not liking the Shark Skin then maybe the new textured series lines from SA will work, I think they are basically filed down Shark Skin.
Far better it is to dare mighty things to win glorious triumphs even though checkered with failure, than to take ranks with those poor spirits who never enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
the royal wolf triangle taper is an awesome line. not sure where to get it but if your going to shell out the coin, buy it.
Fyi, I hate the redfish lines. The sa saltwater master line is much better.
capt. chris.
I have Airflo Ridgeline on my trout rod. It shoots really, really well. I will be putting it on the rest of my reels once they need new line. I do not know what their warm water line is like. Airflo Lines are made from a totally different material that is much more durable than what goes into the other lines. So it should hold up better in spartina. I have found that practicing in the grass with my trout rod has not resulted in any noticeable degradation of line, unlike the others I have used in the grass. Also, I have seen some complaints of the lines not being super supple, but I think the company recently redesigned the chemical make up to help with that. It might be an issue though. I usually stretch my line around a tree or pole before I fish to straighten it out, and get rid of the reel memory in it. Hope this helps out somewhat.
I like the SA Redfish line. I amnot a big fan of the Air Flo lines. The one I fished seemed to get “gummy” and felt liek it was sticking to the guides and just felt like crap on a cast… The other line I fish is the Orvis Wonderline, shoots like poop through a goose and doesn’t stiffen up in the cold… Both lines have held up well for me against grass and shells and fish. I dump all my line in a bucket of warm freshwater when I get home, run it through an old t-shirt a few times to get the scum and dirt off it and wind it back on, about every 3 trips I’ll throw some line dressing on there. Been fishing the same 3 lines for 5 years now…
It’s time to change my fly line, or so I think. It seems like I have to put dressing on it after every outing, just so the next outing I will be able to have the line slide over my “line control” finger as I strip the line. I will not even mention how hard it is to keep a running fish on without either my fingers being ripped to a shred,…
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>You say you have fished for 2 years so, is this line (that wore out) only 2 years old?
I have fished these local waters for lots of years and have yet to ‘wear out’ any fly line. All of my Mastery and Rio and Saltwater Tapers and Intermediate, etc. are holding up fine.
Which line is better is like what’s your favorite color, to me. The lines are all so different. I like soft, flexible lines. I hate hard stiff lines. Just personal choice. I’m always reaching for one of my SA lines.
I give my fly lines a good fresh water rinse after each use and ‘treat’ the line before each use. It helps to take out any ‘memory’ from the line and makes it more flexible and helps the floating lines to float.
airflo is a non pvc line- meaning sunscreens,gasoline, etc will not affect them. the ridges zing it on through the guides. ive been very happy with them- they have a 5yr crack warranty! pretty strong. I have to agree on the Teeny lines- very nice and extremely slick. rio redfish i use most- aggressive rear taper helps with heavier crab flies and such. video below is a look inside RIO factory. 1st class http://vimeo.com/30140070
I own and have fished all of the lines mentioned. I REALLY like the AirFlo Ridgelines. I prefer the SA saltwater line to both redfish lines mentioned. Do not overlook the cortland laser line or the Bruce Chard specialty lines.
spot tale, just out of curiosity, do you practice cast on concrete/asphalt or get caught up on oyster beds often? Both of those can have unfavorable effects on fly line. I can’t really imagine that spartina grass would be damaging your line significantly.
Also, I have SA red on one rod and RIO red on another and I think i prefer the RIO. I’m not a great source of wisdom, but I do like the taper on the RIO. They both catch fish fine, also.
I fill my kitchen sink with warm water after every trip and strip all the line off the reel into the sink, then run the line through a wash cloth a couple times to get all of the dirt/grime/whatever else off. Then I apply dressing after this. I probably don’t need to apply dressing after every time I fish, but I do…
