Fly Fishing

MarshallD · Location: Naples, Fl

Fresh Water Streams and rivers:
Orvis Bass Bug wf 7 weight.
Rio Gold 5 weight.

Tropical Salt Water: Sci Anglers Redfish 9-weight, or Wulff Triangle Taper for Bonefish 8-9 weight
Sci Anglers clear Intermediate 9-weight for inshore large game

I am currently targeting back country Snook and Redfish and I'm using Scientific Anglers Redfish line for shooting under Mangroves and sight fishing. I think its coating is very durable for the abuse I give to it and these lines seem to last a good time before cracking.

jeremy · Location: Portland, Maine

Freshwater: For floating line I like the scientific angler mastery series. I especially like the neutral tones. I have a real issue using fluorescent and neon lines, even if it doesn't affect the fish. I just don't like something that draws that kind of attention to itself in a natural environment. What's up with that anyway? What's up with the bright yellow, orange and neon green lines .. I never understood that? Why not just throw firecrackers in the water while your at it. Something that bright and obnoxious just doesn't feel right. Anyway, as you can see I have a pretty strong preference to natural tones on fly lines. I rarely ever use intermediate fly line in freshwater. But, I do use integrated sinking line alot. My choice for sinking line is Orvis depth charge wonderline. I think I usually throw a 150-200 grain on a six weight rod.

Saltwater: In the salt I usually roll with 3 spools, so I can change them out. Floating line - I think this season I used a scientific angler bonefish line. Intermediate Line - I think it was the clear airflo line. And sinking line I know it was the Orvis depth charge ... 250-300 grain i believe.

PS. Marshall --- I think your poll needs to have "none of these" as those options don't come close to covering all of the possible options.. and someone may "get the most satisfaction" casting streamer flies to Barramundi in Australia .. or havin a bluefin tuna eat their fly ... or watching a rooster fish take their fly. So, in fairness to all types of fly fishing and species and possible options .. I think you would need to have "none of these options" .. because for some people, the may not get that much satisfaction from any of those options or have those options available to them. In the big scheme of things, those options are just a needle in a haystack. And for off-shore bluewater fly fisherman; none of those options are something they even want to do.

MarshallD · Location: Naples, Fl

Jer,

I agree and thanks for bringing this up..."So, in fairness to all types of fly fishing and species and possible options .. I think you would need to have "none of these options" "

I can't edit the poll so could you?

I think it's interesting to see opinions.

I also have an issue with overly bright colored fly lines. I prefer the subdued colors, tans, olives and clear.

jeremy · Location: Portland, Maine

So, why do they manufactur those neon/bright colors i wonder? .. why not just make fly rods that neon green, waders that or bright orange and botts that are neon yellow too? ... just don't get the point of why those are the "default" colors for fly lines?

Boz · Location: Portland

Good topic...

I do actually use the Bright Orange/bright yellow lines...
Not for fishing, but for teaching folks to cast.
It really stands out when doing video analysis of casting...the bright colors make identifying loop shape issues easy...

I like olive/drab colored lines for fishing.

My favorite freshwater lines from this year...
Rio Gold floating- good all purpose line dry/nymph/streamer
Rio nymph- for nymphing...has a bright tip for skinny water no indy nymphing...comes in handy sometimes.
Rio Steelhead/Atlantic Salmon line- for great lakes steelhead.
great taper for indy nymphing big water.
For sink tips I've tried every brand and can't seem to find one I Really like yet, or one that will last. Haven't tried the Orvis depth charge yet.

For Salt:
Airflow clear intermediate for Stripers/Albies and Bonito.
Sinking Sci Anglers Streamer express- use them, but I believe there must be a better option, as they don't last and twist and tangle alot.
I don't use floating lines much at all for saltwater...but I have a Wullf Triangle taper for an 8wt I like the feel of...

MarshallD · Location: Naples, Fl

Boz,

You depth dawg! I like your reference to the bright lines for teaching Very Happy

I never thought of that, but it makes all kinds of sense. Here's an idea...How about a night fishing line, though....with like a flourescent tip ? Keep it in the sun awhile during the day to chaahge it up.....

Looks like I'll have to investigate the rio heavy water nymph lines you like. Are they good for EO and WB? I was real happy with the Orvis Bass Bug Taper for throwing huge stuff. They say the Orvis lines weigh a bit more....?....but I have awhile to spend here in Naples to ruminate on all that kind of cold water.....brrrr. Thanx again for the fun drift there in your raft.IoU

I hope you get down here, stay awhile and fish with me so you'll become more and more picky about your warm water salt lines....(a good thing).....let's split a trip with whomever you like.

We were just looking over Tom's fly line selections here at the shop...wow. Rio, Sage, Sci Ang., Wulff, Monic....from 0-weight to billfish. gadzoox kimosabe!. Dredge, dredge or sight-fish, baby sight-fish.

I'm thinking I'm chucking a balanced rig for big snook right now, it's just killing me that I only get on a skiff once a week or so, the beach walk takes up the slack.just a matter of time.

Night fly line? Hmmm Cool

Yes, What's wrong with creating more subdued and stealthy fly lines.? Stealth. Stealth should be manufactured into fly lines along with more slick and durable line coverings. Lines can't be too durable or too slick.

lunchbox · Location: Utah

I am also a big fan of SA Mastery series lines for trout. For dry fly fishing I like the Expert distance and the Trout line in a double taper. The expert distance is great because even though it is touted as a distance line, it throws dry flies very well at short and medium ranges. Unike many other "distance" lines out there (such as a rio grand) with a very short heavy head on it, the taper of the distance line is very long and graduated. The head of this line is around 80 feet, which means at normal fishing distances the line actually performs very much like a double taper. Very accurate and lands nice and soft. The reason it is touted as a distance line is it allows very good casters to carry 80-90 feet and allows you to shoot over a hundred feet.

MarshallD · Location: Naples, Fl

sounds good. I will try Expert Distance.

I fish large trout-salmon rivers with a 7-weight...my current load is an aggressive front taper Orvis line made for Bass poppers and bulky, wind-resistant flies. I've enjoyed using this line anywhere a sink tip is not required, I really do not prefer to dredge for fish or troll much anymore, don't 'need' to hook a fish always....spoiled on sight-fishing.

This front-heavy floating line lets me bring larger streamers and heavy nymphs into the game quickly on nearly the same or cut-down leader with or without indicator. When the lighter, smaller dries are in play, I've simply lengthened the leader added tippet and shot a higher cast, letting it drop as best I can. I call it a stop-cast. My stop cast is harder to execute accurately at a longer distance so if ever the wind would stop blowing and fish start to show, I'd much reather use the double taper. Jeeze, I'd like a part-time job as a fly line tester. "Honey, I just have to go to the Bahamas again. Wink

It's the only water that is perfect for testing the line they sent me to try...." Laughing

spector82 · Location: Biddeford ME

I was having a hard time hooking striped bass this summer, while a friend of mine was hooking fish after fish around me, now granted he was a much better striped bass fisher than I, this is pretty much the first year that I have really focused on this species.
Now I am a pretty decent flyfisher in my own right and pay attention to techniques and retrieves of those who know (monkey see monkey do) so it had to be something more.... So he took a look at my terminal setup and knew right away what was wrong, or at least had a legitimate hunch. I was using pretty much the same line leader combo I use for salmon, which in the skinny water we were fishing was a no-no,... the water was crystal clear...I might as well have been towing the fly behind a steel cable!

So he suggested flourocarbon leader which I bought at the local tackle shop that day and took it a bit further by purchasing Sci Anglers mastery series striped bass intermediate line which is a pale blue color line constructed over a monofilament core.
Even though I was never a fan of "Scientific tanglers" lines in the past, I have to say this stuff casts like a dream, no tangles at all, it shoots through the guides like no other line I have fished to date, and needless to say I was hooking fish almost as well as he was the next day I fished.
Now to be honest it probably had more to do with the Flouro leader than anything else, but having line that is actually enjoyable to cast surely must help as well. I highly rec this line for colder salt. 5 stars!

MarshallD · Location: Naples, Fl

Good example spector. Water clarity certainly demands thinking about terminal setup. I think that the part of the fly fishing industry that is undergoing the greatest surge in technical improvements is fly lines. There are so many and they're all improving at a fast rate. That's why I don't overlook any company when it comes to lines. Airflow, Orvis, Sci. Anglers, Wulff, Rio, Sage,...they all have made new advances in fly lines.