» FLYLINES
AND BACKING
Simply stated, there are many choices available
and the angler must factor in his intended use. If you
are fishing 'dries, you want a floating line. If you need
to fish in the water column, use a sink tip. This is an oversimplified
description and there are many different combinations to
achieve these simple principals, let's break it down.
Floating lines do just that, they float. But, do you want
a floating line with a double taper, shooting taper, weight
forward or a specialty taper? They all have their place and
one line probably couldn't handle all of your needs, but,
lines, in general, can handle a very wide gamut of uses.
For example: A weight forward line would work well for trout
to bonefish, so would a double taper, or, a bonefish taper
could work for trout. However, saltwater lines are designed
for the salt and don't float as well in freshwater and are
very stiff, especially in cold weather. So, when a saltwater
line is used in the fresh it doesn't behave very well. It
drags, sinks and is hard to work with, compared to a line
specifically engineered for freshwater. Plus, most salt specific
lines are designed to deliver longer casts, into the wind
and through "thicker" air at sea level. They (saltwater
lines) have smaller diameters, medium length heads, and skinny
bellies, usually with a stiff core. Also, salt specific lines
hold their stiffness in tropical heat. Trout lines just go
limp.
Many of today's, high-tec fly lines, have special coatings,
protecting them form UV, sand and general abrasion, allowing
them to last longer and cast further. Tapers do matter and
the angler should invest a little time casting a number of
them, through the process of elimination, one should find
the taper that fits his casting style and needs. Chances
are, any taper will work, and it is just a matter of opinion,
with some science thrown in.
The choices are endless and overwhelming, just keep in mind,
that, if you could afford them all, you probably would only
use a handful out of the bucket.
Sink tips are lines that sink. They come in many different
lengths and weights. Some sink super quick, others sink more
slowly, measured in inches per second of sink rate. Which
makes a lot of sense. If you are fishing 2' of water, an
express tip (fast sinker) wouldn't be a wise choice but it
would be if you were fishing in the offshore environment.
Also, with the added weight of these sink tips, one can cast
a heavier fly, using the momentum of the added weight to
great advantage. These lines can be trimmed to your liking
and to help in the aid of loading the rod correctly. Even
if you purchase the proper wt rating, they tend to feel heavier
while casting, as compared to a floater. As with dry lines,
you can use this overloading to accomplish a few things.
They cast heavy flies easier, they buck the wind better and
they punch through the denser air, at sea level, with less
interference from these conditions. Determine how large of
a fly you intend to cast, how deep it needs to be fished
and how quickly you need it at that depth, research which
line accomplishes this, then go buy it. Or, there are a few
options that exist, where you can purchase a running line
with interchangeable sink tips, now you have an entire arsenal
at your disposal.
As a side note: There are a few sink tips available with
heavy metals that are much kinder to the environment than
lead, which most sink tips incorporate. They sink just as
fast, some faster, without the damaging effects. |
