Know your Fly Fishing LineA fly fishing line is short, about 80 – 115 feet in length.
It is thick and heavy, tapered at one or both ends. Modern fly fishing lines are made of nylon. They are available in a vast range of sizes and weights. Some are designed to float, some to sink slowly (Intermediate) or quickly, and some to sink at certain rates. Backing As fly line is short a backing of extra line is needed. This is to fill up the fly fishing reel for faster retrieval as well as to provide enough line when a hard-running fish takes your bait and run. A minimum of 100 – 200 yards of backing is needed and 20 -30 lbs test braided line is commonly used. Line Weights The strength of a fly line is measured in weights instead of pounds as in conventional fishing line. And the line weights range from 1 -15, with the higher numbers having the heavier or greater strength. Line weights suitable for freshwater fishing usually range from 3 – 8 wt and for saltwater fishing line weights may range from 8 – 15 wt. For fly fishing the line weights should be matched to the rod and reel as well as the targeted fish. Taper Basically, there are 4 types of taper: level, double, weight forward, and shooting. Level (L) taper line has the same diameter and weight throughout the whole length. This is the cheapest fly line. But sorry beginners this type of fly line is not easy to cast and not for casting into the distance. Double taper (DT) line is thick and heavy in the centre and thinner on both ends. This line doesn’t cast well especially against wind and not for the distance. It is good in the hands of an advanced fly caster for delicate presentation of a light fly. Weight-forward (WF) taper line is the most popular fly line. Most suitable for beginners this fly line is easy to cast and able to cast to greater distance. This line has a thick and heavy front portion allowing you to cast large and heavy flies such as streamers and poppers with ease on windy situations. Shooting taper (ST) line also known as shooting head (SH) is similar to the front portion of weight-forward line. It is used for distance casting. Both the WF and SH lines are recommended for saltwater fishing. Density Density refers to the line’s buoyancy characteristics. They are floating, sinking and floating/sinking lines. Floating (F) line floats all along on the surface. This line is used for fishing on the surface and near-surface. It is also easy to cast and easy to work with allowing to lift up the fly from the water with ease. This type of fly fishing line is highly recommended for those who are new to fly fishing. Sinking (S) line is used for fishing over the bottom sinking at differing rates written on the packaging. This line is good for fishing deep-waters and fast-flowing rivers. Full sinking line is not easy to cast and manage, thou it is not recommended for beginners. The slowest sinking line ( I ) not so common nowadays is used for presenting the fly slightly below the surface. Floating/Sinking (F/S) line has a sinking tip section ranging from 10 -30 feet and also with differing sinking rates written on the packaging. Also known as sink-tip line this type of line is easy to cast and fish. It is good for fishing slowly over the bottom with a nymph or streamer. Color Fly lines come in a wide range of colors. Most are in bright colors for the fly anglers to see and manage on the waters. Some lines are luminous which glow in the dark making them easy for the anglers to see them. Often, floating lines have bright colors in orange, yellow, lime-green and some luminous colors. Sinking lines are usually come in dark colors such as dark green, brown, blue or black. Leader After the backing and the main fly fishing line is the leader and tippet that is used to tie the fly. Most fly-fishers use standard monofilament line as leader but some might go for fluorocarbon line. The later is invisible in crystal-clear water. This type of line for leader provide an invisible link between the thick and heavy mainline and the fly, especially dealing with line-shy fish. Leader should be tapered, getting thinner towards the fly and balanced with the size of fly used. Available commercially are ready-made leaders and tippets, but many advanced fly-fishers prefer to tie their own. So, I hope you get to know what a fly fishing line is like by now. Select the right type for the job and you’ll enjoy fly fishing and fish like a pro in no time. Good luck Fishing!  Custom Search
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