Fly line is one of the most important pieces of fly-fishing equipment. It plays a vital role in casting and presenting your fly to fish, and choosing the right line can make a considerable difference to your fishing experience.
Like golf clubs, different fly lines are designed for different situations and purposes. While one line might work well in certain conditions, another may be much better suited to a different style of fishing. With so many options available, understanding the basic characteristics of fly lines is a good place to start, particularly if you’re new to the sport.
Understanding Fly Line Density
Fly lines are available in four main density types, each designed to fish at a different depth in the water. Floating lines remain on the surface, while sink-tip, intermediate and sinking lines are designed to take your fly progressively deeper. Understanding the differences will help you choose the right line for the fishing conditions and the type of water you are fishing.
Intermediate: Slow-sinking lines for subsurface fishing.
Sink-Tip Lines: Floating line with a sinking tip.
Sinking Lines: Designed to sink through the water column.
Floating Fly Lines
Floating lines are made with small air bubbles in their coating, making the line less dense than the water; this allows the line to float on top. You connect a leader to the floating line to enable your flies to get down to the fish that is waiting. If you’re learning how to fly fish then this would be the best place to start.
Sink Tip Lines
The sink-tip line is a variation of the floating line. Again, as the name suggests, it is a floating line with a sinking tip.
A sinking tip means that the density of the tip, or end of the line, is heavier than water and therefore the tip sinks into the water. So part of the line is floating on the water, but the end (the tip closest to your flies) is sunk in the water.
This type of line helps to get flies down in the water quickly, but does not require the entire line to sink in the water. This can often be a great line for smaller, shallower rivers when you want to fish with your line in the river, but not too deeply – to prevent it will snagging on the bottom.
Sinking Lines
Sinking lines, when cast onto water, are designed to sink into the water. They have a greater density than water, so they fall into the water column. A key feature of the sinking line is its sink rate; sinking lines will sink at different rates depending on how dense they are. Understandably, a heavier (higher density) sinking line will sink faster than a lighter (less dense) line. This is a key consideration when looking at sinking lines as you want a line that is going to sink at the correct rate for the type of water you fish. A fast sinking line will be ideal for deep rivers and pools; however this line will be a struggle to fish with in shallow rivers and streams. The method of fishing that uses sinking lines is commonly referred to as “wet lining”.
Intermediate Lines
Intermediate lines are sinking lines, but they don’t sink as fast as true “sinking line”. These lines vary in their sink rates, so it is important to understand the differences in brands of intermediate lines and their sink rates.
Intermediate lines are ideal for fishing lake edges and shallower rivers as the line will have time to get down to the right depth, however it won’t snag on the bottom like full sinking lines do. The retrieve (pulling in the line by hand) speed will determine at what depth the intermediate line sits.
Understanding Fly Line Tapers
Just about all fly fishing lines today have some sort of tapered design to them. There are several types of fly line tapers on the market today. The three most common are weight forward, double taper, and shooting taper.
Weight Forward (WF)
Weight Forward fly line starts out thin at the tip and gets thicker going back about thirty feet. This is probably one of the most popular Fly lines because they are one of the easiest lines to cast. This is a good Fly line to choose if you are a beginner.
Double Taper (DT)
Double Taper fly line is similar to the Weight Forward fly line. The Double Taper line has a Taper at both ends and remains thicker through the centre of the line. One of the advantages of a Double Taper line is they perform well when roll casting. This is a good fly line to choose if you will be fishing small stream’s and need to do a lot of roll casting. Another advantage that this fly line has is that you can reverse it if one end gets damaged.
Shooting Taper (ST)
Shooting Tapers, sometimes called Shooting Heads, are designed similar to the weighted forward fly line except they are lighter. The fact that they are lighter you can cast them long distances. Because you can cast these fly lines long distances, this means you have more line to manage and not get tangled.
| Taper | Main characteristic | Typical advance |
|---|---|---|
| Weight Forward (WF) | Weight concentrated towards the front | Easier distance casting |
| Double Taper (DT) | Tapered at both ends | Roll casting |
| Shooting Taper (ST) | Short, specialised casting head | Long-distance casting |
Choosing the Right Fly Line
Choosing the right fly line depends on where you want your fly to fish and the conditions you are fishing in. A floating line is a versatile starting point and suitable for many situations, particularly when fishing dry flies or shallow-running nymphs. When you need to get your fly deeper, a sink-tip, intermediate or full sinking line may be more appropriate.
Consider the depth of the water, current, wind and the behaviour of the fish when selecting your line. Having a couple of different density options available will give you greater flexibility and help you adapt to changing fishing conditions.
Further reading
This article is adapted from information supplied by former Club member Liam Gallagher.
