GRAINS OF TRUTH

by Pete Barrett

Choosing the “right” fl y line has never been so easy—or so diffi cult. Seems there is fl y line for every species that swims in cold and hot climes, for short casts and long, in a mind-boggling variety of tapers to punch through wind or make delicate throws to spooky fi sh, and in color choices that shame a rainbow. And there’s no shortage of opinions about fl y line, although the truth can be elusive depending on how you actually fl y fi sh. A line that brings a grin to one caster elicits a frown from another. Wading through this happy maze of choices to fi nd the ultimate line—one that shoots like a cannon to reach striped bass in the surf or makes delicate presentations to sea trout on grassy fl ats—is an interesting quest.

Fact is, we like today’s remarkable selection of specialty lines for redfi sh, tarpon, little tunny, bonefi sh, surf stripers, and big game; we welcome the choices for both chilly water and the heat of the tropics. Weight-forward lines are still king of the hill, although yesteryear’s generic tapers are now supplemented by an array of new designs with short-taper heads and compound tapers; they’ve made the casting part of fl y fi shing much more enjoyable with the added benefi ts of improved distance and fl y presentations. Having so many choices has not, however, answered the eternal question, “Which fl y line is best?”

Most fl y anglers are decent enough casters—perhaps lacking the grace and form of professionals

THE AUTHOR WAS READY WITH A LINE CAPABLE OF DISTANCE CASTING TO REACH A SCHOOL OF 10-POUND JACKS IN FLORIDA’S INDIAN RIVER LAGOON.

like Tim Rajeff , George Roberts, or Mark Sedotti, but quite capable of putting the fl y where the fi sh want it. That’s the goal, right? Making a good presentation that catches fi sh is the essential ingredient of the fl y fi shing experience. To help fl yrodders make better presentations, manufacturers expend a lot of eff ort modifying the tapered sections of fl y lines, which change the concentration of weight and casting performance.

A saltwater fl y line has two primary sections: the tapered front head and a level running line behind it. The head is made up of four secondary sections: a short level tip section, a front taper that swells in diameter into the large-diameter body section, and the rear taper that merges into the running line. By modifying the length and diameter of the four head sections, manufacturers can achieve seemingly mystical casting qualities for short or long casts and varying fl y presentations.

The fi rst considerations when choosing a new line are the casting distance and weight of the fl y you expect to throw. Many great casters have written about this numerous times over many years, so let’s summarize here with some basic considerations. Distance casting generally requires a line with a head measuring 35 to 50 feet, while short casting distances are easier with short heads of 22 to 35 feet. Big and bulky fl ies generally cast best on 9- to 10-weight lines; lightweight fl ies cast best on 6- to 8-weights. Gentle presentations are generally

CHOOSING A FLY LINE HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER—OR TOUGHER—WITH LIMITLESS OPTIONS FOR WARM AND COLD WATER AND FOR EVERY SALTWATER SPECIES.

better with long heads, while short heads make quicker presentations. For accuracy, short heads are better.

Weight-forward heads were always the go-to lines for saltwater. An early improvement to head design was the 1960s-era rocket taper from Cortland Line Company. The rocket taper had a short front taper with much of the head’s weight concentrated toward the front of the body, gracefully tapering back into the running line. With so much weight in the fi rst few feet of the body, the line was a great choice to poke through wind and throw bulky fl ies and popping bugs—and it could shoot line like crazy. Switching from rockets to tarpon, Airfl o, Cortland, Orvis, RIO, and Scientifi c Anglers have enhanced the original concept by fi ne-tuning their front-loaded tapers to retain the punch but with improved fl y turnover and smoother casting.

The legendary Lee Wulff developed the triangular head confi guration that is marketed by Royal Wulff . The triangle taper starts off thin, continually increases in diameter through the entire head length, and then quickly skinnies down at the transition to the running line. The triangle taper helps transfer the power of the cast as the line unrolls on the delivery and allows for soft presentations. Many fl y line manufacturers employ variations on this theme to create lines that make delicate presentations and retain good casting distance.

Bass bug tapers are lines with short heads used to cast popping bugs to freshwater bass, but they also became popular for striped bass, redfi sh, and snook. The 24- to 30-foot head quickly loads the rod with minimal line outside the rod tip for accurate fl y delivery with just one or two false casts. They’re perfect for mangrove areas, where quick fl y delivery is vital and back casting space is limited, and they can throw saltwater poppers well.

Compact heads are also great for casting heavy fl ies—a big bonus in the surf where bulky fl ies can be thrown considerable distances with minimal false casting. This is off set, however, if the caster overpowers the forward cast. Too much muscle adds a “kick” at the end of the cast that can cause an awkward presentation as well as knots in your leader. Medium-length heads like Monic’s Genesis Covert Clear and Javelin Taper All-Weather Icicle lines measuring about 30 to 35 feet are excellent general-purpose choices, capable of doing double duty in tight places for short casts while still reaching out when the caster needs distance.

The length of the front taper is important when considering fl y presentation. A line with a longer front taper will deliver a gentler presentation, an important consideration when trying to avoid spooking fi sh. A shorter front taper provides the oomph for fast deliveries toward bridges and docks for snook and striped bass—or to breaks in mangroves where a fi nesse delivery may not be important.

RIO was among the fi rst line manufacturers to develop compound (or stepped) tapers, and now almost every manufacturer off ers them. Compound tapers have a split personality: About halfway toward the front of the head, the taper jumps down (or up, for some redfi sh lines) into a secondary taper. It’s like two heads in one—a combination that provides concentrated weight

with the advantage of a nice presentation.

We’re just scratching the surface here, but you get the picture: There are many excellent head tapers available to help achieve the right distance and superb fly presentation. Spend a rainy day with catalogs you picked up at a fly show, tackle shop, or online, and you will uncover the many line options available from fly line manufacturers in floating, sinking, sink tip, short, and long tapers. Whether you’re interested in cold water or tropical water, whether you need information on line coatings or cores, advice from the pros at your local fly shop is always helpful because they know what the locals are using. Some fly clubs even offer casting clinics where members can try and compare various lines.

Let’s push taper considerations aside for a moment and consider how the actual weight of the fly line affects casting results. We have to recognize there’s a lot of variation between fly lines and the rods that cast them. All 8-weight rods, for example, are not the same, nor are all 8-weight lines the same weight. In a world of “stiffish” graphite rods, many fly guys heed the popular advice to over-line the rod to more deeply load the blank. This simple advice is supposed to turn mediocre casters into champions. Hmmm. Maybe. Maybe not.

Over-lining is not new; fly anglers have been doing it for decades. In fact, many of today’s most popular fly lines are marketed specifically to be heavier than standard. And over-lining isn’t really an accurate term because all fly rods can cast more than one line weight. Some casters believe using a fly line one or two weights heavier may yield amazing casting distances with minimal effort. Other fly-rodders with a more rigid outlook stick with the rod’s labeled line weight. Neither perspective is right or wrong, but both hide the complete picture.

At a recent fly show Jim Bartschi of Scott Fly Rods explained, “Every fly rod, regardless of its action or length, is capable of casting several different weight fly lines. The rod’s casting potential depends on the actual weight of line beyond the rod tip. The weight of that length of line dictates how the rod will cast. Although the taper of the fly line has some effect on how the fly is presented, tapers don’t affect weight.”

What many fly anglers overlook when considering fly lines, Bartschi says, is that “at the start of the cast there’s a short length of line outside the tip that weighs very little, and later in the cast there’s a longer length that weighs a lot more. At any time during the cast, the rod may be over- or under-lined or just right—all because of the weight of the line beyond the rod tip.”

“The problem in trying to match the right fly line to a given fly rod,” says Nick Curcione of Temple Fork Outfitters, “is that today’s rods are designed with materials and actions that are far different from what we used many years ago. The current line-rating system, put in place in the 1960s by the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association (and later adopted by the American Fly Fishing Tackle Association), is based on trout fishermen making average 30-foot casts.” The system replaced the outdated line-diameter system and used grain weight instead. A GBF line became an 8-weight weighing 210 grains. “Unfortunately for saltwater fly-fishers,” continues Curcione, “the system has proven to be inadequate because typical casts are often 50 to 70 feet. And we didn’t have graphite rods back then, and saltwater fly fishing was still relatively new.” Several line manufacturers have pushed to update the AFFTA system, but so far nothing has changed.

Doug Cummings of Royal Wulff Products adds, “Most graphite rods are stiffer than fiberglass rods of 30 years ago and cannot cast well unless the rod blank is bent sufficiently to store energy. A good cast can only be made when the bent rod releases its energy as it returns to its unbent shape, unrolling and propelling the line forward. Many fly-rodders today like a short-head line to quickly load the rod.”

What Bartschi, Curcione, and Cummings are essentially saying is that every fly rodder should be aware of the actual weight of the fly line outside the rod tip. It’s the line’s weight in grains that loads the rod, and that weight changes with the length of line outside the rod tip. With an 8-weight rod,

if you began a cast with only 20 feet of line outside the tip-top, it may weigh about 120 grains—the equivalent of a 6-weight. After two false casts to get 30 feet of line out, it now weighs about 210 grains. Two more false casts and it now weighs perhaps 280 grains, or the equivalent of a 10-weight.

Manufacturers provide taper and grain-weight specs on the line box or their website for the fi rst 30 feet, but to match the distances you’re fi shing, it’s helpful to also know the line’s weight at 20 and 40 feet so you can match the line to the distance you want to cast. Some fl y shops sell handy digital scales for just a few dollars. Measure and mark the line at 20, 30, and 40, feet with a felt pen, coil the line lengths and weigh them on the scale. Now you can pair the actual line weight to the distance you want to cast.

For example, let’s pair up a Thomas & Thomas Exocett 8-weight with Airfl o’s Tropical Punch and a Saltwater Sniper 4 Season. Both lines are labeled as 8-weight, and an 8-weight rod should cast them ideally with 30 feet of line weighing 210 grains. The Tropical Punch weighs 180 grains for its fi rst 20 feet and 245 grains for the fi rst 30 feet. Its head taper turns over fl ies in windy conditions and allows easy line pickup when you need to recast at a distance. If you’re continually making 50- to 60-foot casts (or longer) and lifting a lot of line off the water to reposition the fl y to moving fi sh, this is a great choice.

By contrast, the Sniper 4 Season’s

condensed head weighs 225 grains at 20 feet and 335 grains at 30 feet, so it’s a great choice for in-close casting or for surf. You’ll only need one or two false casts to shoot an impressive delivery. The rod loads quicker, and that’s one reason why short-head lines are so popular with redfi sh and surf fl yfi shers: Two false casts and let ‘er rip! Be aware, however, that when you get more than 40 feet in the air, the total may actually be 400 grains, which is the equivalent of a 12-weight line, and the rod may not handle it well.

If you’re an excellent caster making long casts to distant fi sh, you’re actually better off by underlining the rod with a 7-weight line. Because once you get about 40 feet of line out, that length of line will weigh about 210 grains, which is then correct for the 8-weight rod.

So the number labeled on the fl y line and the number labeled on the rod are starting points; it’s really the weight in grains of the length of fl y line you intend to cast that’s crucial. That’s why two casters may have vastly diff erent opinions of the same line. One may say a short-head line “shoots like a cannon” after making just one or two false casts, whereas another caster says the same line is awful.

It would be helpful if rod manufacturers added a range of grain weights to the numbering system already in use to label rods. For instance, Temple Fork’s 10-weight Esox rod also lists the line recommendation of 300 to

WEIGHING FLY LINES AT 20, 30, AND 40 FEET ON A DIGITAL SCALE WILL HELP YOU CHOOSE THE BEST LINE FOR THE DISTANCE YOU’RE FISHING.

CAPTAIN DINO OF ONLY ON A FLY CHARTERS MATCHED AN AIRFLO SNIPER TO A SCOTT FLY ROD TO CATCH THIS IMPRESSIVE 42-INCH SNOOK FROM THE BEACH IN JUPITER, FLORIDA.

400 grains on the blank. All twohanded rods do this, and several manufacturers are trending this way with their one-handed rods.

Here’s a real-life example of how knowing the weight of a line lets you choose the best line for diff erent fi shing situations. For pre-dawn snook fi shing around docks and bridges where I make short, quick casts, I use a compact taper; when the sun comes up, however, and I move to nearby fl ats, I require longer casts. For the dock-light fi shing I cast an 8-foot Echo B.A.G. Quickshot rod to throw a Cortland Compact Tropic 7/8 line. After sunrise I switch to a 9-foot, 8-weight Scott S4 to cast a Cortland Guide Liquid Crystal line to reach out on the fl ats to pothole trout and reds or rolling tarpon.

By weighing the lines on a scale, I know that the Compact 7/8 has enough grain weight at 20 feet to load the rod after I retrieve most of the fl y line back to the boat. I can lift, shoot a back cast, and make a 40-foot cast right back to the dock. With the 8-weight Guide Liquid Crystal I can pick up 30 feet and, with minimal false casting, reach out again to 80 feet. Both lines were selected because of their grain weights for the specifi c casting distances required.

The suggested line rating labeled on any rod blank (7-, 8-, 9-, etc.) is just a starting point. By weighing fl y line heads at 20, 30, and 40 feet you now can fi ne-tune your line choice based on the distances you will be casting and based on fi shing conditions. Another reason to weigh fl y lines is to confi rm the diff erence between what a line is labeled on the box and what it actually weighs. What you purchased as a 7-weight may really be an 8- or a 9-weight and won’t perform well on a 7-weight rod.

No rod or line is perfect for every situation. To get the most from a fl y line you have to consider the distances you expect to cast, the size and weight of the fl y, wind and water conditions, delicacy of presentation and how quick to make it, and accuracy. With so many specialty lines available, it’s too easy to overlook traditional, all-round fl y lines. But whatever you choose to focus on, paying attention to the actual weight in grains of the line you’re casting makes a huge diff erence. Because the grains of truth are what you see on the hand scale.

Pete Barrett has been fl y fi shing in salt water since the 1960s. He was a charter boat skipper for 30 years, and he was on The Fisherman magazine’s editorial sta from 1973 until his retirement. Pete has published over 1100 magazine articles and is the author of fi ve popular books on angling. Pete is a Florida representative for the International Game Fish Association, and he’s currently an active member of the Atlantic Salt Water Flyrodders and the West Palm Beach Fishing Club. Pete lives in Jupiter, Florida.