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Advice for a rookie please

2K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  Nooksack Mac 
#1 ·
Greetings, After several months of practice, I think I'm getting the hang of this (casting that is).

I'm fishing an 8.5 ft rod and #6 WF line that came with the combo I purchased.

I'm considering the purchase of another line as I've beat up the one that I started with and I'm also unsure of what it actually is (it was unlabeled other than the wt. when I recieved it).

So here's a couple of questions that I have for the collective wisdom of the forum:

I've a limited budget to work with and I'd like to keep this purchase to $50 or less. What's the best "bang-for-the-buck" as far as manufacturers goes? Cortland? Cabela's Prestige? Scientific Anglers? or some other brand that I haven't discovered.

I had a chance meeting at a local fishing hole with another fly fisherman. He took my rig out for a "test drive" and thought it had good action and feel but said that it might benefit from a 7wt line. What's the risk here of putting a 7wt on my rod? Is there a big differance or is it more subtle? Will there be a re-learning period to make the adjustment?

Thanks in advance for your help!:)

Regards, SB
 
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#2 ·
Overlining is a good idea as long as you don't overpower the rod or get too used to the extra weight. It's better to learn how to load the rod with variations in timing and length of line out of the guides than to cheat with extra grain weight. That being said it would help you feel the load point especially with a stiffer rod.

Assuming you are talking floater, I used to buy the S/A white Aircel (white color line). Middle of the line, great value. If you are going to cast it on the street, buy something cheaper. I think it goes for ~$30.

Other than that I buy top notch lines because they have excellent taper quality, they last several years and end up being cheaper in the long run, if cared for properly.

.02
 
#3 ·
I concur with Juro. I started out overliniing my rod and have now starting moving towards using the prescribed line weight. As my casting improves I find I overload the rod way too much when distance casting with an over weight line and my line ends up in a pile.

However if I am fishing in close and need to load the rod quickly I will usually overline the rod one weight. For smaller creeks amd rivers I find it the best way to go.

As for lines the cortland 444 series are good ones and can be found nowadays for around $40 since they brought out the 555 series. My favorite but some of the SA specialized lines are very nice casting. Tried the bonefish taper down in the keys and was impressed with the ease of casting in the wind. They are a little more spendy though and I think you will get by just fine with the cortland lines.

-sean
 
#5 ·
I would avoid a double taper simply because it take good techinique and better skill to keep 40 - 50 feet of line in the air than it does to use a good weight forward and shooting some line.

I agree with Juro and his recomendations. Get a good weight forward line from one of the top line manufacturers. All of them make good lines for about $40.00 (at least Cortland, SA and RIO do for sure). Like Juro I recommend getting a line one size heavier than the rod for new fly casters. After you get more proficient and better (comfotable) with fly casting, go to the line size recommended on the rod.
 
#6 ·
I can't speak for all the lines out there but I can say that the SA Air-Cel, and Cortland 333 give good service at a reasonable price. The difference that I've noticed with these lines vs the top of the line models is that the cheaper lines are a little less slippery and slightly stiffer.

Before you sink the money into a line I have to ask if you've cleaned the line you are using? A dirty line can be more difficult to cast.
 
#7 ·
I believe that novice fly casters tend to feel rushed by the casting process, and to have an undeveloped feel for how the line is loading the rod; therefore, they tend to use a heavier line because it slows down the rod and is easier to feel in motion. Nevertheless, the mfg's rating is usually correct (for single-handed rods, at any rate). If using two line sizes on one rod, it usually works to have a lighter floating line and a size heavier for a sinking line, which has less air-resistance.
If you go to eBay and search for "Orvis fly line," you'll find a number of slick-finished WF Wonderlines, sold as promos, in plastic bags rather than on spools. They usually sell in the mid-$20's.
 
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