How to Cast Better? Start with your Line
From floating to full sinking, sink tips, lines specifically for bonefish or tarpon and on and on, there have been many major advances to fly lines in the last 20 years. This has really been driven by the many different types of fly rods and new materials that are being used and different species of fish being targeted. I almost think it might have been a simpler time when choices were less. However, I am reminded that those thoughts are not valid especially when I cast a line that has a lubricant and ridges built into it. The performance of modern fly lines has not only made fly casting more enjoyable but also allows anglers to be more effective.
Why Pay the Big Bucks?
When I say big bucks, a top end line can run over a $100.00. However, seeing a new angler struggle with their cast is sometimes heartbreaking -knowing that possibly they are casting a line that is not matched to their rod, or it’s old and has lost its cast-ability or slickness. All the while they struggle and possibly give up the sport due to poor equipment. I’d venture to say that the fly line is the most important part of your outfit. I can take an entry level graphite rod and line it with a top end line and turn it into a fantastic casting rod. Now think what you can do when you have a nice rod matched with a top end line?
Looking for a nice rod? Fill your fly rod arsenal here.
Top shelf lines have so much engineering into them it is hard to imagine. My analogy I use to sell someone on a good fly line is this, it is like buying good tires for your vehicle. Longevity and performance are what it really boils down to. Some of the current fly lines are specifically designed to match the action of a rod or species of fish you are targeting. If you are a new angler budgeting for a new rod, reel, and line package, start with a top end line and then go from there with the rest of the kit. You’ll thank me later.
How to Cast Better
There are many easy fixes to a bad cast. Taking casting lessons is good, but really understanding how your line is built is critical. The first thing I go over in my casting lessons with folks is helping them to learn where your “taper” starts and stops. Well, what is a taper you ask?
Fly lines are not level or one diameter. Fly lines are typically designated as “WF” or weight forward. These make up about 80% of the lines on the market. Weight forward means that the grains of weight built into the line, via a taper, is in the forward portion of the line -think thirds. The rear two-thirds of most lines are level. This portion is called running line. The front third is the belly or tapered portion of the line. This belly or taper is usually 30 to 50 feet. (It really depends on the type of line that you have.) Now, let’s say you decide to make a long cast, outside or longer than the belly. If you try and pick up your line with 40 to 50 feet of line out, most likely you are trying to cast with the running line outside of your rod. This is not good and will typically fold up and not make a good cast.
Start short. Learn to strip your line to at least the rear portion of the taper. This is the thicker part of your line and will allow you to make a much more controlled cast. Think about it for a second. Where are the majority of your casts made when on a trout stream? I’d say not much further than 30 to 40 feet. Matter of fact, Winston rods out of Twin Bridges Montana used 40ft as their marketing a while ago. I thought this was clever as this is really the where we do the most fishing. Their point was that your rod and line should perform best within these distances -any further than that and you start to lose control and diminish opportunities at catching fish at longer distances.
Modern fly lines sometimes have a color change where the level line meets the taper. If you can’t find where the taper starts, bring it into your local fly shop and they can mark it for you with a sharpie.
Which Line is Best for Me?
There are thousands of fly rods and each one will perform differently. For slow action, you may want a more delicate line with a longer taper. For a fast aggressive rod, you will want a heavier taper to help load the rod quickly. Again, the primary distances we fish are within 40 feet. So, the rod needs to load quickly in short and not when you have 50 to 60 feet out. Otherwise, we would overload the rod by one weight. So, a 5 would get a 6 and so on. Now, some of the lines being made are a half weight heavy. This is just enough for the faster rods to load properly.
Be sure to let the fly shop folks know the primary places and species you’ll be fishing. You may consider having a few rods with different lines to suit your different needs. For most western trout fishing a medium to fast action 5-weight in 9 feet is good. But you may have a different scenario in mind and should specify this to them.
Choosing the best 5-weight fly line? Check this out.
If you are a saltwater angler this really is a different beast. Most freshwater lines are not great for saltwater. The coatings are not as durable or stiff as a salt line. Are you a warm water salt person or a cold water salt person? There is a line for either application. The cores of all fly lines, fresh or salt, are vastly different. Warm water lines have a stiffer outer coating and inner core helping it retain rigidity as it gets hot. This is just the opposite for the cold water applications. Some of the upper-end lines are designed to stay as supple as possible. This will lessen tangles or what we call memory. Memory is when a line is coiled on a spool or under tension and retains the coils in the line. You can straighten these lines by stretching them.
How to Care and Upkeep Fly Line
So, you just spent $500 bucks on a setup and are concerned about taking care of it. Luckily, most of the nicer equipment out there is built tough. This doesn’t mean you should abuse your equipment. Your line is no different. Higher-end lines actually handle abuse very well. It is designed to slide in and out of your fly rod thousands of times -but friction always wins in the long run.
In the duration of a fly line’s life, there are things you can do to keep it in good working order. For example, you should wipe the line down with a rag at least at the end of the day -using warm soap and water on it is second best. Simply take the spool off of your reel and set it in a tub of warm water with mild soap for 15 minutes and then wipe it through a rag back onto your reel. Also, there are some line lubricants out there to help with slickness. Some better lines do not really need this. It can actually attract more dirt and debris if you overdo it. Read your lines manufactures’ recommendations on what they say you should do.
Another tip to consider that I learned the hard way… I had been fishing one day and noticed my line had a section of coating that was missing. At closer inspection, I saw other spots like it too. It looked like someone had taken a razor and shaved off some of the coating. I wondered what caused this?
I went into my local shop as the line was almost brand new. The guy in the shop asked to see my reel. He showed me that the bottom of the reel cage had grooves in it. I was astounded. I asked what causes this? He said when you are casting you are stripping line at a great angle to the reel cage. Any minor dirt on the fly line and friction acts like sandpaper wearing away at the metal on the reel cage. The grooves were very deep and caused it to act like a razor against the line. He said to make sure to strip the amount of line you need off of the reel first and not while you are in the casting motion. It made sense. Since then, I have corrected that habit and have not had a problem since. It is a surefire way to ruin a brand new fly line.
Fly Lines we Recommend
We have a great variety of lines in stock in our shops. Scientific Anglers, Airflow, Rio and OPST are some of the brands we carry here, at the Fly Shop. We have many different models of lines to really fine tune your set up. Listed below are some of my favorites. Be sure to keep an eye out for them the next time you are in.
Scientific Anglers Amplitude -These guys have hit it out of the park with these lines. Textured, built-in lubricant, dual colors to associate the tip from the running line, and a variety of tapers to accommodate different actions of rods. These are some of the coolest lines out there. New on the block is their Amplitude Smooth series. These are not textured but still, have their AST additive for slickness. I have their infinity taper and love it on my Sage Foundation I bought this year -longer rear taper for long casts and better mend-ability. If you can think of a situation for fly fishing they have a line for it.
How good is Scientific Anglers Amplitude? Read a review here.
Rio’s In Touch Perception - This line is killer from Rio. Their ultra-low stretch Connect Core allows for better sensitivity and timing. The low stretch also will detect subtle strikes too. There is also an easy ID tag on the front taper for fast line recognition as well. Rio has a killer line up of models whether you are a Spey caster, trout bum in Montana, or chasing bonefish in Christmas Island.
Airflo's Spey/Switch All-Around Performance Heads - If you are new to Spey casting or have a switch rod and need a good all-around line, this line is perfect. It can be twice as confusing trying to understand the Spey or switch lines. This is a no brainer. It will allow the beginning Spey or switch caster to pick up bigger flies or handle windy situations with ease.
Fly fishing can be intimidating at first glance if you are new. It is incredible and certainly a lifelong sport to partake in. Having the right equipment in any sport is critical to enjoying it and continuing on it as well. If you are struggling with your equipment or casting, come into one of our fly shops and let us help you get dialed in so you can continue enjoying this awesome sport.