The Casting Corner: Check Your Fly Line Knowledge

By Rene J. Hesse

If you know your fly line, fly casting is so much easier. When we fish for trout in small North Georgia streams, it isn’t very important to know the fly line because most of the fishing is done with only a few feet of line out of the rod tip, however, drop down from the small blue line streams and into the Chattahoochee, Chestatee or Soque, and you may need to reach fish a little further out and use the whole head of the line.

For fun, check your fly line knowledge with the questions below. Answers at the bottom.

  1. What is the ‘Head’ of the line?
    A) Running line, rear taper, belly, front taper and tip
    B) Rear taper, belly, front taper and tip
    C) Belly, front taper and tip.
  2. What is the function of Belly of the line?
    A) Connect the front and rear taper
    B) Carry the energy transferred from the rod to the front taper
    C) Allow mending at the furthest point in the fly line from the fly.
  3. Rear Taper is shorter on trout lines than weight forward lines.
    A) True
    B) False
    C) Hmmmm- why would it be different?
  4. The taper on a standard fly line from reel to leader is;
    A) Rear taper-running line-belly front taper-tip
    B) Belly-rear taper, running  line-tip
    C) Running line- rear taper- belly front taper-tip
    D) Tip-front taper-belly- rear taper-running line
  5. Overhang is?
    A) The tree that is in the way of a good spot you are casting to
    B) Left over line
    C) The amount of rear taper beyond the rod tip.

The answers below are to stimulate thoughts about the different parts of the line and how to use them. The tip is to tie on leaders. The front taper dissipates the energy that is being carried to it by the belly of the line. The belly of the line is level tapered and carries energy better than the tapers. The rear taper is for line management and transitioning from the belly to the running line. Running line is thin and creates less drag when a fish is running you into the backing.

Hint: Don’t try to make a cast if you have more than a foot or two of the rear, taper out of the rod tip.

 

 

Answers: 1-B, 2-A and B, 3-B-False- rear tapers are longer on trout lines so mending is easier, 4-C, 5-C.