By Rene J. Hesse
We have all seen the choices of fly lines that are out there, and it seems there are more every day. Why would you want to have so many different lines? Do you really need them? It depends. I think it’s super important to know how line characteristics work for you, or against you, in different situations, and why. Understanding the taper and how to use it in a cast is most important. Getting to know the core (the part inside the tapered PVC) and the sink rate are important too. There are tropical lines that stay hard and don’t get sticky in the heat. There are also cold-water lines that are designed to stay supple in the cold.
Thirty years ago, I used a great fly line. It was summer and I was fishing for spots on Lake Lanier. The line held up in the heat, didn’t get sticky, and had a small head and thin running line. When striper season came around, it was the worst line I had ever used. The difference was the air and water temperature. Cold was making the mono core of the line coil in the worst way. Did I need to get a different line the next time out? YES. The mono core of the line gets stiff in cold weather, so I had to go to a multifilament core. One of the things I liked about the first line was the relatively short head. It allowed for a quick change of direction casts, so if a school of fish popped up, it would be easier to redirect, make a back cast and shoot quickly into the running line. So, I looked for that quality in my new line.
Changing lines is sometimes very important. Read up on what makes things happen when using a particular type of line. For example, there are lines that are designed for shooting the banks or making repetitive casts, generally at the same distance without a long retrieve. They have very short heads and front tapers and longer line management sections or rear tapers. That’s an example of something that is getting more and more technical in line design, and if you don’t get familiar with the tapers, it can be difficult to cast when you get out of the consistent rhythm that specific line is designed for.
I would compare fly line to a bike. There are some that get you from point A to point B and do the job. There are others that are so advanced that unless you are practiced with them, they will not help you much unless you are in a situation that bike is specifically designed for. Don’t take a road bike on a mountain bike trail, but you can take a mountain bike on the road. It will not be as efficient as the road bike, but it will work. Get to know the line characteristics, pros and cons, and life on the water can be much more pleasant.