Everyone knows that when a person is
fishing, they are casting a lure or some type of bait to the fish in
hopes of a strike. In fly fishing however, your are not
casting the lure, or fly, you are actually casting the fly
line. This is why fly fishing is different from
fishing.
Fly line is made of a thicker
material than a typical fishing line but just like fishing, it comes
in a variety of different sizes that dictate what size rod you will
be using, what size flies you will be casting and what size fish you
will be catching. Generally, for larger fish, you will be
using a bigger fly which needs a larger diameter line to accurately
cast it. If you plan on catching smaller fish such as bream or
trout, a smaller fly will be used, thus needing a smaller line to
delicately present the fly to the fish. Sometimes, as all
fisherman are aware, it is possible to catch large fish on light
tackle and occasionally small fish will take a large
fly.
The size of the fly line is directly
related to the size pole you will need to cast it. For
delicate fishing with small flies, a smaller weight setup will be
needed such as a 1, 2 or 3 weight line. Most trout anglers
tend to use a medium to small weight fly line for their fishing
ranging from sizes 4 to 7. For larger freshwater species such
as bass, pike and light saltwater fishing a 7 to 10 weight line will
work. For most fly fishermen, a good all round size is a 5 to
7 weight line. This size will enable delicate presentation as
well as provide the power to cast some larger flies.
Fly lines come in a variety of
different tapers and buoyancies. Some fly lines are tapered
which means the end of the line is a little thinner than the rest of
the line so that the fly line will fall gently to the water.
Some aren't tapered at all. The buoyancy pertains to how the
line floats or sinks. If one were fishing in a lake for
example, a sinking line would enable the fly to get down to where
the fish are if they are holding deep.
Double Taper - This fly line
is thin at both ends. It is great for casting techniques
called roll casting and mending and since both ends taper, it can be
reversed thus doubling the life of your fly line.
Weight Forward - A very
popular fly line, the weight forward line is thin at the end
connected to the leader then tapers to a larger section about five
to seven feet long then tapers back to a smaller diameter for the
rest of the line. This thick section enable farther casts and
is easy to use.
Buoyancy - For most fishing
situations, a floating fly line will work. If it is necessary
to get the fly a little lower beneath the surface, a little weight
or a bead head fly can be used. If it is necessary to get the
fly deeper, a sinking line can be used.
There are many specialty fly lines
available through different manufacturers but by know what type of
fish you will be fishing for and the depth of the water, it is easy
to find which fly line will be the best for you. If there is
one thing you should not go cheap on, its the fly line, be sure to
ask do a little research on the best fly line you can get in your
price range.
